Kulagi's Kanoka
by Xccj
Summary: Kulagi was just a regular Kanoka Maker, until he rescued a stranded Ga-Matoran. Now he has to fight for his life as he runs from Vahki and the Gang Matoran.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Welcome to Metru-Nui. Welcome to the thriving home of the Matoran; an underground city made up of six Metrus representing the six elements. Welcome to the City of Legends.

Metru-Nui is overseen by Turaga Dume. The Turaga lives in the Coliseum in the center of the city. The six Metrus each span out from the Coliseum. Ta-Metru is the Metru of fire. Here Matoran use the intense heat of their Metru to craft tools and other necessitates. The major occupation of Ta-Matoran is mask-making, and the city is filled with Matoran crafting Kanohi masks.

The desert-like Po-Metru is filled with carvers. Matoran work on the stone to create carvings of the Great Spirits and other legendary heroes. Rahi run free in this undeveloped Metru. Beside Po-Metru is the Metru of the water, Ga-Metru. The Ga-Matoran teach and learn in this Metru. Studies on protodermis are conducted in Ga-Metru labs, and the Metru is a popular vacation stop for all Matoran.

To the south is Le-Metru, where the Le-Matoran constantly work on transportation methods. Next to Le-Metru is the chilly Ko-Metru, filled with icy Knowledge Towers. Ko-Matoran study the stars in this Metru, and interpret prophecies about the future.

Onu-Metru is north of Ko-Metru, and is filled with many Matoran. Onu-Matoran mine in the soft soil of the Metru. But most Matoran in Onu-Metru are part of the archive system, which consists of a vast level of galleries filled with artifacts from all across the city. The Archives of Metru-Nui extend beneath the entire island, and are easily accessible from Onu-Metru.

However, this is a different Metru-Nui. This is a Metru-Nui before the Toa Metru. This is a Metru-Nui before Makuta's take-over. This is the Metru-Nui before the impersonation of Turaga Dume. This is a Metru-Nui before Toa Lhikan, before the Dark Hunters, before the great crisis that would drive the Matoran to the island of Mata-Nui. This is Metru-Nui in a peaceful stage. The Matoran society thrives, and many advancements have been made thanks to new objects: Kanoka Discs.

Kanoka Discs are made in every Metru on the island. Protodermis is taken from the Metru, and melted in a forge. The Kanoka-Maker then crafts the liquid protodermis into the shape of a Kanoka Disc. Once the disc has cooled, the Kanoka-Maker tests the disc's special power and its power level. After that, they enter a code on the disc that will identify its powers, and then finalize the disc so that it can be used.

The Matoran use the code on a Kanoka Disc to interpret its powers. The code consists of three digits, which each represents a special power in the disc. The first digit represents where the protodermis of the disc originated. The second digit represents the disc's special power. And the third digit represents the disc's power level.

The origin of the protodermis helps determine the disc's flight abilities. A disc made from Ta-Metru protodermis is very strong, and can break through obstacles. A Ga-Metru disc can be guided through the air by the user's thoughts. A Po-Metru disc deflects all other Kanoka from their flight paths. A Ko-Metru disc dodges obstacles until it can reach its target. A Le-Metru disc can fly further than any other discs. An Onu-Metru disc will return to uses after it's been fired. A number is used to represent each Metru from which the disc originated. "1" represents Ta-Metru, "2" represents Ga-Metru, "3" represents Po-Metru, "4" represents Ko-Metru, "5" represents Le-Metru, and "6" represents Onu-Metru.

Kanoka Discs come with eight special powers, and each are given a number to represent a power. "1" represents a Reconstruct at Random power, which will rearrange an object down at its molecular level to turn it into something else. "2" represents a Freezing power, which will cool down the moisture around an object, and incase it in ice. "3" represents a Weakening power, which will weaken an inanimate object and steal energy from an animate object. "4" represents a Removes Poison power, which will eliminate any poison in an object. "5" represents an Enlarging power, which will cause an object to grow in size. "6" represents a Shrinking power, which will decrease an object's size. "7" represents a Regeneration power, which will create more objects or specific properties on an object, such as wounds. "8" represents a Teleportation power, which will send an object to another random location instantly.

The third section of a code represents the power level of a Kanoka discs. The power levels range from a weak "1" power level to a strong "8" power level. Theoretically, Kanoka discs can have any quantity of power, but the limit in Metru-Nui is normally power level eight. There have been rumors of Great Kanoka with a power level of nine, but these rumors have not been confirmed. Power levels determine the quality of the disc's power and flight abilities. A higher-powered Kanoka will fly longer than a lower-powered Kanoka, and the power effect would be more intense. For example, a higher-powered Enlarging Kanoka would make an object grow larger than a lower-powered Kanoka. Most Matoran prefer to use discs at a high power level, because the discs work better. However, higher-powered discs are hard to come by.

The protodermis helps determine the power level of a Kanoka. Pure protodermis will create powerful Kanoka. But contaminated protodermis will make weak Kanoka. Onu-Metru and Po-Metru have lots of pure protodermis at their disposal, and it is common to find powerful Onu-Metru and Po-Metru Kanoka. However, pure protodermis is hard to find in the other four Metrus, and Turaga Dume has placed restrictions on the protodermis from these Metrus. Under these restrictions, it is very hard to come by pure protodermis. Therefore, Kanoka from the other four Metrus are normally weak.

Kanoka discs are used in many parts of a Matoran's life in the city of Metru-Nui. Matoran use the discs at work and at play. They use Kanoka launchers to fire the discs at certain objects. The primary use of Kanoka was to be for everyday tasks. Kanoka competitions are also held in the Coliseum, where Matoran use their aiming abilities to win at the game. Kanoka discs are also used when traveling in chutes. The Matoran ride their Kanoka, and use them to navigate through the complex chute system. Kanoka discs are also useful in combat. As of late, Gang Matoran have used Kanoka discs to cause chaos in the city. The Vahki enforcers also use Kanoka to stop troublesome Matoran.

Kanoka are also used in transportation. Specific Kanoka can be combined to make speed and levitation Kanoka, which are used in airships, Vahki transports, and Hover-Bikes. Individual chute stations are also run off the power of combined Kanoka discs.

While many Matoran use the Chute systems to navigate across the island, the newest form of individual transportation for Matoran is the Hover-Bike. Hover-Bikes, powered by Kanoka, can easily fly over the streets, through chutes, and around obstacles. Turaga Dume has approved of the creation of retailed Hover-Bikes, so all Matoran can get one. A few Matoran still create their own Hover-Bikes, which violate restrictions set down by Turaga Dume.

The most important use of a Kanoka disc is in mask making. All Matoran must wear a Kanohi mask to function, and all current Kanohi are made from Kanoka discs. Ta-Matoran mask-makers select worthy Kanoka, and carve a mask from them. The power of a combined Kanoka will determine the power of a mask. The power level of a Kanoka also determines the power of the mask. All Kanoka with a power level of six or less lose all their power when they are turned into a mask, and these Kanohi are worm by Matoran. Kanoka with a power level of seven can create Noble Kanohi masks, which contains a limited amount of powers in them. Matoran cannot handle the powers of these masks, but Turaga can. Kanoka discs with a power level of eight can be carved into Great Kanohi, which contain immense powers, but can only be used by a Toa.

Metru-Nui was indeed in a peaceful time. However, that peace was being threatened. Gang Matoran had begun to up rise against the Turaga's rule. The Gang Matoran used their Kanoka and Hover-Bikes to cause destruction all across the island. They demolished chutes, tore apart forges, toppled statues, and felled Knowledge Towers. They cared little for the civilian Matoran, and kidnapped and tortured them whenever they had the chance. Turaga Dume used his robotic enforcers, known as Vahki, to take out the Gang Matoran, but they resisted still. Life went on in Metru-Nui, but the struggle between Dume and the Gang Matoran was beginning to wind down to a startling conclusion that could cause utter destruction in Metru-Nui.

Any hope would lie in the hands of a single Onu-Matoran Kanoka-Maker known as Kulagi…


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The Onu-Matoran lowered his Hover-Bike, and parked it along the Ta-Metru street. He was an energetic Onu-Matoran, with a black body and a purple Miru mask. He scanned the crowd for the familiar mask. He was supposed to meet one of his friends here, but the crowded street made it hard for him to locate his companion.

Further down the street was the famous Fire River. The Great Furnace heated up protodermis, and created many streams in which the Molten Protodermis flowed down. The tributaries all joined together to form the Fire River, which flowed through Ta-Metru. The slow moving river of Molten Protodermis was a soothing site, and it was Ta-Metru's most popular tourist attraction. This wasn't saying much, as large factories took up most of Ta-Metru. These factories filled the sky with smoke all day long, and didn't attract many onlookers.

The Onu-Matoran finally spotted his friend in the crowd. He rushed up to him, waving. "Hey, Huaju! There you are!"

A Po-Matoran with a dark brown Hau turned around, and grinned. "Kulagi, nice to see you," he said. "It's been quite a while. How's your trip to Ta-Metru going?"

Kulagi shrugged. "I ordered some protodermis, and I came to pick it up. It's regulated protodermis, so I won't get any good Kanoka out of it. But I need to keep busy, so I've got to work with what I've got."

"How long have you been out?" Huaju asked. "I haven't heard of you since you got arrested."

Kulagi rolled his eyes. "Dume let me out a couple of weeks ago. I've been laying low, and making some Onu-Metru Kanoka. And I haven't gotten into any trouble yet." Already, Kulagi's mask started to glow, as he recalled the incident.

Huaju noticed this. "Let's go see the Fire River," he suggested. "It's a very calming sight. We can talk there."

The two Matoran followed the crowd, and found themselves on a twisty pathway overlooking the Fire River. Kulagi and Huaju leaned against the guardrail, and watched the Molten Protodermis flow by.

Kulagi and Huaju were off the same profession; they were Kanoka-Makers. Both of them were highly skilled in the art of creating Kanoka discs, and had come to know each other through their trade. Huaju himself was a Kanoka trader. He was always traveling around the city, and bringing his Po-Metru Kanoka to the other Metrus. Kulagi traded some of his discs as well, but he preferred to keep most of his discs. Instead, Kulagi always tried to create the most powerful Kanoka.

"So, what have you been up to?" Kulagi asked. "Been trading a lot?"

Huaju nodded. "Since you were imprisoned, I've been all across the island. The most exciting incident was the Le-Metru Chute Fiasco. There was a Force Sphere in one of the chutes, and they called me down to help stop it before it caused too much damage. A couple of my discs came in handy for taking it down. The Vahki don't know how it started, but they got it cleaned up really fast."

"Ha," spat Kulagi. "Vorzakh don't clean up stuff. They destroy it."

Huaju shook his head. "Not these Vahki. They did get a little rough handling the chute, but they kept the damage to a minimal. Even so, the Force Sphere wrecked a lot of stuff."

Kulagi shook his head. "I don't care. If all the Vahki were fed to the Great Furnace, I wouldn't care. Then Dume wouldn't have so many robotic enforcers to do his dirty work."

Huaju eyed his friend. "Okay, do you want to talk about it?"

Kulagi shrugged. "Talk about what? I was minding my own business, wandering through Le-Metru, and then the Vorzakh come and arrest me. That's not justice, I assure you!"

Huaju sighed. "From what I remember, you were illegally taking protodermis from beneath the Moto-Hub. Because you were in an off-limits area, the Vahki decided to take you down. And I also heard that you took a couple of Vahki down as well."

Kulagi nodded. "They caught me off guard. I was able to shoot a few Kanoka, but then they got me with one of their staffs, and I was a mindless shambler after that. Then they brought me to the Coliseum, and Dume sentenced me to a month in the Coliseum prison. Just because I was looking for some good protodermis."

Huaju rolled his eyes. "Why can't you just take the regulated stuff? There's plenty of Le-Metru protodermis on the market, but you have to go find you own. Look at me. I can easily get my own Po-Metru protodermis without ever getting in trouble. And I can make some strong discs too, you know."

Kulagi's eyes glowed. "Sure, you can get good stuff, because all the protodermis in Po-Metru is pure. Most of the protodermis in Onu-Metru is pure too. But the only protodermis that's pure in Le-Metru is in all these off-limit areas. And don't get me started on the regulated stuff. You can hardly make a worthy disc out of the stuff you can buy on the market. Dume makes sure that none of it is very pure, so it's worthless to a Kanoka-Maker like me. I don't like making Kanoka discs that are lower than level four. I bet the stuff I got today won't make any good discs. I'm just getting it for the practice."

"Well, the Turaga's looking out for our safety..." Huaju said.

"No, Dume's looking out for himself!" hissed Kulagi. However, he lowered his voice, so nobody else could hear him. Although Dume was respected in the Matoran community, many still found faults in him. Yet with Vahki lurking around every corner, the Matoran had to be careful about what they said against the Turaga.

"Do you know what Dume did after he arrested me?" Kulagi asked. "He went to my house, and raided it. He took all my Kanoka, and donated them to the mask-makers. So when he released me, I found all my level six and level seven Kanoka missing. I didn't have any Kanoka left, so I had to start from scratch." Kulagi breathed in. "However, Dume did leave my first Kanoka alone. It was the first Kanoka I ever crafted, and I've kept it framed on my wall ever since. Dume did respect my sentimental values for it, after all. But that's not saying too much. He might've been too lazy to pull it out of the frame."

"Well, the mask-makers do need Kanoka to create masks," Huaju started.

Kulagi spun around to face Huaju. "No. They don't need all of my Kanoka! Dume simply stole all of my discs and gave them to the mask-makers! Being from Ta-Metru, he regards making Kanohi more important than making Kanoka. Oh, if I could trounce those Mask-Makers who destroyed my Kanoka..."

"Kulagi!" Huaju said sternly. "I've known you for a long time, and I know you're a decent Matoran. But you need to learn to stay on the right side of the law. You can't keep getting caught by Vahki! Eventually, Dume's not going to let you out!"

Kulagi shrugged. "I'm just not going to let the Vahki catch me anymore."

"That's what you said last time," Huaju said. "When the Keerakh caught you taking protodermis from the base of a Knowledge Tower. And you said the same thing after you got caught by the Bordakh in Ga-Metru."

"Well, this time, I mean it," Kulagi said. "Those Vahki aren't all that tough. With my Kanoka, I can shoot them down as if I were swatting at bees."

"Careful, because the Vahki sting back," Huaju said. "You should just learn to take whatever protodermis you can get. You should just stick to making powerful Onu-Metru Kanoka."

Kulagi grinned. "But what fun would that be?"

Huaju decided to change the subject. He gestured to the Fire River. "So, what do you know about Ta-Metru's most popular tourist attraction?"

"Not too much," Kulagi said with a shrug. "I guess that lots of Matoran come here."

Huaju nodded. "I've been here a lot, when I happen to travel through Ta-Metru. The Fire River is fed by the Great Furnace. All the tributaries gather together to form the bulk of the river, and it goes on for a ways. This pathway follows the river all the way down to the Molten Protodermis Falls, which is quite a spectacle. There, the river cascades into the Lava Fields, which is this entire lake of Molten Protodermis. There are some islands in it, apparently, but Matoran aren't allowed down there. Eventually, the Lava Fields end as the protodermis flows through pipes that either bring it to the factories or the ocean."

"The protodermis comes straight from the Great Furnace," Kulagi said absentmindedly. "I bet I could make a good Kanoka disc out of that protodermis."

Huaju shook his head. "You'll need some solid protodermis first, and you won't find that in the river. There's no way you can carry Molten Protodermis all the way to your forge."

"But when the protodermis slows in the Lava Fields, bits of it would build up on the edge," Kulagi said. "Then I could find some solid rust..."

Huaju shook his head yet again. "The Nuurahk would be all over you before you could say 'Kanoka'. Matoran aren't allowed in the Lava Fields! Lately, Gang Matoran have been hanging out down there, and the Vahki are making sure that they don't do anything."

Kulagi leaned against the guardrail. "Whatever. I'll just have to stick with contaminated regulation protodermis."

The two Kanoka-Makers stood in silence, watching the river. However, their silence was interrupted by a loud scream upriver. With a quick glance at each other, Kulagi and Huaju rushed up the pathway to the gathering of Matoran.

"What's going on?" Huaju asked a Le-Matoran.

The Le-Matoran pointed to the Fire River. "There's a Matoran out there! She's floating down the river!"

Kulagi gazed over the edge of the guardrail. Indeed, there was a Ga-Matoran floating atop a large rock. She was slumped down, and wasn't moving.

"Is she dead?" asked a Ga-Matoran.

"She looks like she's asleep," the Le-Matoran answered.

"What's she doing out there?" a Po-Matoran wondered.

"She needs to get out of there," a Ta-Matoran said. "If she continues to float down the river, she'll go over the Molten Protodermis Falls!"

"Somebody get a Vahki!" cried the Ga-Matoran.

"There aren't any Vahki around here," the Ta-Matoran answered.

Kulagi shook his head. "The Vahki wouldn't help her," he said. "They wouldn't understand."

"Somebody needs to do something!" the Po-Matoran protested.

"Somebody should fly out there and get her," the Le-Matoran suggested.

"Are you kidding, a Hover-Bike would crash and burn over the Fire River," the Ta-Matoran said.

"We need to do something!" the Po-Matoran repeated.

"HELP HER!" cried the Ga-Matoran hysterically. She rushed up and down the pathway, shouting for help in a panic. Soon, all the other Matoran were rushing about as well. Only Kulagi seemed to be in his senses. He turned off the trail and rushed back towards his Hover-Bike. Huaju followed him.

"You're not thinking..." Huaju started.

"Yep," Kulagi said with a nod.

"But you'll crash!" Huaju said. "You'll need Kanoka discs or something."

Kulagi rushed up to his bike, and turned to Huaju. "I built this bike myself, and I know what it's capable of. It has two combined level eight speed discs and a combined level eight levitation disc. This thing will fly while the retail bikes would burn up in the Molten Protodermis. I can fly it over the Fire River." He grinned. "And who said I don't have any Kanoka. I just happen to have a couple of powerful Onu-Metru Kanoka on me right now."

"But you're not allowed to fly over the Lava River," Huaju began. "The Vahki..."

"What about that Matoran, who's floating towards certain doom?" Kulagi snapped.

Huaju fell silent, and Kulagi nodded. "Good. I'm going to try and rescue her." With that, he hopped on his bike and turned it on.

"Kulagi..." Huaju began. "Good luck."

Kulagi winked. "I'll see you later." The Hover-Bike lifted into the air, and Kulagi accelerated forward. Soon, he was in the air, and heading towards the Fire River.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kulagi dipped his bike into a dive over the Fire River. He pulled out of the dive and skimmed above the surface of the Molten Protodermis.

"This'll be easy," Kulagi said. He pressed a button on his bike. "Auto-pilot."

However, the instant Auto-Pilot took control, the Hover-Bike started to shake. To Kulagi's horror, the back blade dipped into the protodermis for an instant. Kulagi quickly deactivated Auto-Pilot and flew up a bit higher.

"Well, that didn't work," Kulagi complained to himself. "I guess the heat is a little too much for Auto-Pilot. Well, I'll have to manually fly this thing then. But that means that the Matoran's going to need to climb up on my bike on her own."

Grumbling, Kulagi accelerated down the river. He quickly found the rock that the Ga-Matoran was floating on, and flew his Hover-Bike next to it. He turned to see the Matoran, and noticed that she was still asleep.

"Hey, you!" Kulagi yelled. "Wake up! You're floating on a river of Molten Protodermis, and if you don't wake up soon, you're going to be Lava Bones. Hey, WAKE UP!"

To Kulagi's relief, the Matoran started to stir. But he continued to shout for good measure. After a few moments, the Matoran shot straight up.

"Where am I?" she cried. It took her a few seconds to take in the scene. As soon as she realized that she was floating down the Fire River, she started yelling. "HELP ME!"

"Calm down, that's what I'm here for," Kulagi said. "Look, I'll get my Hover-Bike right next to your rock, and you can climb onto the back seat..."

The Ga-Matoran fell to her knees, sobbing. "Somebody save me!"

"I could use a little cooperation," Kulagi shouted. "I just need you to jump..."

But try as he might, Kulagi couldn't persuade the Ga-Matoran to move from the rock. She hugged the stone and cried out for help. Kulagi's impatience rose as the Ga-Matoran refused to move.

"I'm trying to save you here," he shouted. "Maybe you could help me out a bit!" The Ga-Matoran only responded with a sob. Looking up ahead, Kulagi could see the lip of the Molten Protodermis Falls. His time was running short.

"Fine, I'll take another approach," he muttered. He lifted his Hover-Bike into the air, abandoning the Ga-Matoran. After he had gained some altitude, he aimed his bike towards the lip of the falls.

"I've got to time this just right," Kulagi mumbled to himself. "Or this won't work. And then we'll both be in really big trouble. Not yet... not yet... NOW!"

Kulagi accelerated down through the steamy air. As he shot down, the rock the Ga-Matoran was on went over the lip of the Molten Protodermis Falls. With a wild shriek, the Ga-Matoran tumbled off the rock and through the air.

Kulagi's bike went vertical, and shot down parallel to the falls. Kulagi reached up from the handlebars, and reached for the falling Ga-Matoran. He grabbed her, and shoved her in the seat behind him. He reached for the handlebars, and pulled up just before he would've met the surface of the Lava Fields. Kulagi shot away from the falls, and then came to a stop, hovering above the pooled up Molten Protodermis. Kulagi shouted with glee. "Yeah! Let's see them retail bikes do that!"

Pushing aside the thoughts of his daring act, Kulagi turned around to see the Ga-Matoran behind him. "You okay?" he asked.

The Ga-Matoran was shaking, and she didn't respond. Kulagi quickly strapped her onto his bike, while saying, "I just got you out of quite a dangerous situation there. But there's nothing to worry about. You're safe now."

The Ga-Matoran's eyes suddenly went wide, and her breathing quickened.

Kulagi shook his hands. "Calm down. We won't get in any trouble, okay. Just as long as we don't find any..."

The Ga-Matoran passed out. At that instant, a Ta-Matoran Kanoka just missed Kulagi's head. Kulagi swung around, and sighted his attackers. "VAHKI!"

A patrol of Nuurahk Vahki was descending towards Kulagi. Kanoka discs were loaded in their jaws, and their stun staffs were ready to be used.

Kulagi instantly accelerated his Hover-Bike, and shot away from the Vahki, and headed down the Lava-Fields. "I'm not going to let the Vahki catch me this time!" he roared.

Kanoka shot by him, and bright beams of light narrowly missed his Hover-Bike. Kulagi knew that if he was struck by one of the beams of light, he would be affected by the Nuurahk's stun staff. Then he would have a single overriding command in his mind that he would be forced to follow. But Kulagi was through with losing his mind to the Vahki. He wasn't going to go down without a chase.

Unfortunately, Vahki love the chase.

As Kulagi flew down the Lava Fields, he came upon large mounds that jutted out from the surface. They were small islands of solid protodermis, and they created a dangerous maze within the Lava Fields. Kulagi flew around one mound, and avoiding fire from the Vahki. The lead Nuurahk was directly behind him, but Kulagi swerved and avoided another island. The Vahki wasn't fast enough, and crashed into the mound.

Kulagi twisted his bike to the side, but a Kanoka skimmed the edge. Kulagi growled, and picked up his Kanoka launcher. "So they want to fight tough, 'eh. I'll show them tough!"

Kulagi made sure his Hover-Bike was on a steady path, and then he spun around in his seat. He fired a level eight Onu-Metru Weakening Kanoka. The Kanoka flew through the air, and struck a Nuurahk. The Nuurahk shuttered, and crashed into the Molten Protodermis below it. Because of the special Onu-Metru properties, Kulagi's disc returned to his launcher.

"I've got more where that came from!" Kulagi called. He fired again and again at the Vahki. Sometimes he missed, but Kulagi had much practice with firing Kanoka discs. Many Vahki either crashed into the lava or fell behind after Kulagi caught them with his disc. Yet the Nuurahk weren't unused to return fire from their prey. They formed a formation, and prepared to surround Kulagi.

Kulagi saw their tactic, and tried to find a way out of it. He found the answer when he spotted a pipeline that took the Molten Protodermis from the Lava Fields to the sea.

"Sorry, fellows, but I've got to leave!" Kulagi called. He took his bike into a sharp turn, and headed straight for the pipe. As he neared the opening, he loaded in a level seven Onu-Metru Regeneration disc. But the Vahki were closing in behind him. The air was filled with the beams from the stun staffs.

"YEEEAAAHH!" Kulagi yelled as he shot through the hole. As he entered the pipe, he fired his Regeneration disc into the ceiling. The disc's powers took effect, and started multiplying the piping. The new material quickly blocked the pipe's entrance.

One Nuurahk was unable to stop, and crashed into the plug. The other Vahki stopped, and assessed the situation. Their prey had escaped, and they had no way to follow it. Due to lack of information, they did not know where their prey was going. Instead, they sent out a warning on the wireless Vahki Network, and then went to repair the damage done to the pipe.

Kulagi shot through the pipe at breakneck speeds, flying around random corners in the darkness. The stream of Molten Protodermis flowed beneath his Hover-Bike, but he had enough room to maneuver. After spending a few minutes underground, Kulagi popped out of the pipe, and found himself over the sea. He breathed in a sigh of relief, and let his bike hover in the air.

"That was defiantly a successful chase," he said with a sigh. "No Vahki can touch me now!"

His celebrations were cut short by cruel laughter. Kulagi spun around to see a convoy of Hover-Bikes floating above him. Atop the Hover-Bikes were mean looking Ta-Matoran, who all held loaded Kanoka launchers.

"Now, what have we got here?" the lead Ta-Matoran asked. "Some civilians on a Hover-Bike. How sweet."

Kulagi narrowed his eyes, and reached for his Kanoka launcher. "Gang Matoran!"

The leader laughed. "Yep, we're Gang Matoran. They call us common criminals back in the city. But we're much more powerful than your ordinary criminal. We are under the rule of Boss, and we have no rivals. We aren't controlled by that fool you call Dume, and we don't take too kindly to regular civilians either."

"Well, I don't take too kindly to your type, either," Kulagi hissed. "What do you want, eh?"

The leader grinned. "We'll let you go this time, Onu-Matoran. Just give us the girl."

"What?" Kulagi gasped.

"You heard me. Give us the Ga-Matoran."

"I don't think so," Kulagi replied. "Have this instead." He fired a level six Onu-Metru Shrinking disc at one of the Gang Matoran. The Kanoka shrunk the Hover-Bike, and the Ta-Matoran tumbled down the cliff-side.

"He wants a fight!" the leader yelled, lifting his Kanoka launcher. "Let's give it to him!"

Kulagi realized that it would've been better not to provoke them, but it was too late now. He spun his bike around, and shot over the sea. Just across the bay was the border of Ga-Metru. Kulagi could possibly lose the Gang Matoran in that Metru.

But the Gang Matoran weren't about to let Kulagi get away. They fired up their Hover-Bikes, and flew after him. They fired their Kanoka as well, but Kulagi easily dodged their attacks.

"Is that all you've got?" Kulagi mocked them. "Low level Kanoka? That's not enough to stop me!"

A Kanoka just missed his mask, so Kulagi thought it was about time to fire back. He turned around in his seat, and fired his Shrinking disc again. It shrunk another Hover-Bike, and the Gang Matoran fell to the sea. But the chase continued.

Kulagi came upon the edge of Ga-Metru. Adjacent to the shore was a giant pier, and the buildings of Ga-Metru were held high above the waves by stone pillars. Kulagi ducked beneath the buildings, and flew between the pillars. The Gang Matoran followed him, but they were unable to fire their Kanoka, because they couldn't see Kulagi between the pillars.

The lead Gang Matoran came up directly behind Kulagi, and loaded his Kanoka launcher. "You're dead, Onu-Matoran!" he sneered.

"Think fast!" Kulagi called out. He spun to the side, but the Ta-Matoran was too busy aiming his Kanoka to steer. Instead, the lead Gang Matoran crashed his Hover-Bike into one of the stone pillars. In a shower of flames, the Matoran and the wreckage of his bike fell into the water.

Kulagi could avoid some of the Matoran, but he had to find a way to escape quickly. He located an empty spot on the ceiling, and loaded in his Weakening Kanoka. "I hope this gets me out of here."

He fired his Kanoka, and it created a large hole. Kulagi flew up the hole and found himself on a busy Ga-Matoran street. Ga-Matoran were fleeing from the sudden rupture, but none appeared to be hurt. Following Kulagi was the convoy of Gang Matoran.

"Get him!" shouted one Gang Matoran, looking wildly for Kulagi.

"I think they're about to get you!" Kulagi said to himself. He dove into a side alley, and disappeared from sight.

The Gang Matoran hovered in the air for a moment, but then they were struck by a volley of Kanoka and bright beams of light. A team of Bordakh Vahki appeared, and they used their Kanoka and Staffs of Loyalty to pacify the Gang Matoran. In very little time, the Vahki had all the Gang Matoran under their control.

During the chaos, Kulagi had slipped away and avoided the Vahki completely. He drove his Hover-Bike into a nearby chute, and headed for Onu-Metru. He turned to see the Ga-Matoran behind him was still unconscious. He would awaken her once they were somewhere safe.

"I can't say it hasn't been an eventful day," Kulagi said, as he leaned back and let the chute system bring him to Onu-Metru.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Kulagi gently landed his Hover-Bike next to his Onu-Metru home. He quickly parked it, and laid the unconscious Ga-Matoran against the wall. As he unloaded his supplies, he happened to notice the rust on the read blade of his Hover-Bike.

"Protodermis rust?" Kulagi wondered. "From the chute... no, from the Molten Protodermis! Darn, I hope that didn't weaken it too much. It probably didn't help my bike to have all this protodermic rust on it."" Suddenly, Kulagi realized what he was seeing. "Pure protodermic rust straight out of the Great Furnace! By the Great Spirit, I must have some of the purest protodermis in Ta-Metru right here! I bet I can make quite a Kanoka out of it!"

Eager to begin his work, Kulagi quickly unloaded his equipment and brought it inside his house. He dragged in the Ga-Matoran as well. He had no idea what to do with her. Ordinarily, he would've dropped her off at the chute station. But with the Vahki looking for him, and the Matoran being unconscious, that seemed to be an unlikely option. Instead, he'd keep an eye on her until she woke up. Then he would send her on her way.

Kulagi laid the Ga-Matoran on his bed, and then fired up his forge. On his forge, he would heat up solid protodermis and turn it into a liquid, so he could fill his Kanoka molds. His forge couldn't handle liquid protodermis, because it wouldn't settle into a solid form when he was done. Luckily for him, Kulagi's Ta-Metru protodermis was a solid, and would easily fit into his mold.

Kulagi heated up the protodermis, and started moving it around. He used a variety of techniques he had picked up during his days of making Kanoka. His methods tried to bring out the full potential of the protodermis he was handling. It didn't take Kulagi long to realize that the protodermic rust he had collected was very powerful. His excitement grew as he continued to form the protodermis.

After many minutes, Kulagi had the protodermis set. He allowed it to cool into a semi-solid form, so he could then test its abilities. Once he understood the properties of the disc, he would carve in the code and solidify the disc. After that, the Kanoka would be ready for use.

As the protodermis settled, Kulagi pulled out a small device. When placed upon the Kanoka, it would take a reading of the protodermis and record its powers. Before such technology, Matoran had to discover the powers through trial and error. That was still an effective way to discover the powers, but it had some flaws. Kulagi had discovered this when he manually tested a level seven Regeneration Kanoka. He had created multiple chairs within his home, and had been forced to flee before he was crushed to death.

Kulagi set the Kanoka recorder on the disc, and waited for it to collect the data. When the results came in, he read it aloud to himself.

"Made from Ta-Metru protodermis. Well, I already knew that. Ah, it's an Enlarging disc. I though so, it seemed to mold like an Enlarging disc. And its power level is..." Kulagi gasped as he read the statistics. "A power level eight Ta-Metru Kanoka! Unbelievable! I haven't been able to make Ta-Metru Kanoka this powerful since Dume placed his restrictions. I'll need to get more protodermis from the Lava Fields in the future..."

Kulagi was interrupted by a sudden ring. He turned to his standard holographic long distance communicator. "That's strange. Who'd be calling at this hour?"

Kulagi answered, and the Matoran operator said, "Kulagi, you have an incoming call from the Coliseum."

"Send it in," Kulagi said dully. He had an idea of who'd be calling him now.

The holographic projector turned on, and Kulagi could suddenly see the face of Turaga Dume. Kulagi felt a slight chill, as if he were about to get punished. But the Turaga's face appeared to be calm at the moment. But Kulagi had seen how Dume's expressions could change in an instant.

"Greetings, Kanoka-Maker," Dume said. "I hope to find you well tonight."

"I am fine," Kulagi said, keeping his voice neutral. He glanced at his room through the corner of his eye. Nothing appeared to have been out that would arouse the Turaga's suspicion. Even Kulagi's new Kanoka wouldn't seem out of the ordinary, for Kulagi hadn't carved in the code yet.

"I heard you were in Ta-Metru today," Dume said. "Did you pick up some good protodermis? Is that one of the Kanoka right there?"

Kulagi nodded. "Yes, Turaga. I got some regulated protodermis, and I'm making Kanoka discs from it."

"What is the power level of that disc you have in your hands?" Dume inquired.

"Uh, it's a level four disc," Kulagi lied quickly. "I was about ready to finalize it."

"That is a worthy Kanoka," Dume said. "Kulagi, I want you to create as many discs as you can from that protodermis, and then send them to Ta-Metru. The mask makers need another supply of Kanoka to make some Kanohi masks. I shall send mask maker Vakama over tomorrow morning to collect your finished Kanoka."

"What!" cried Kulagi. However, he quickly calmed himself, and then said, "Yes, Turaga, I shall make more Kanoka."

Dume nodded. "Good. Now there is another topic I would like to discuss with you, Kulagi. Today in Ta-Metru, the Nuurahk Vahki pursued an Onu-Matoran on a Hover-Bike through the Lava Fields. The Matoran escaped, after damaging a portion of the piping in the Lava Fields."

Kulagi acted surprised. "Really! That sounds exciting. Do the Vahki have any leads?"

"None yet," Dume said, as he narrowed his eyes. "The Nuurahk reported that the Matoran had quite some skill with a Hover-Bike. Your kind of skill, Kulagi."

Kulagi held up his hands. "Whoa, Turaga, I haven't done anything wrong. I just went to Ta-Metru, picked up some protodermis, chatted with a friend, and then caught a chute back to Onu-Metru. I can't believe you would accuse me of breaking the law! I've learned my lesson!"

"You have never completely learned your lessons in the past, Kanoka-Maker," Dume said sternly. "The Nuurahk do not want the Matoran for anything besides slight damage and evading Vahki. I'll be keeping an eye on you, Kanoka-Maker. Be sure to stay clean."

"I have tried to stay clean," Kulagi said. "But I shall try even harder."

Dune nodded. "Good. Now have a pleasant evening, Kulagi. Vakama will be by to collect your Kanoka in the morning."

The holographic projector turned on. Kulagi took a deep breath in, but his temper was already rising. Dume was sending over a mask maker to take the rest of his Kanoka. Even if he did get any good discs out of the regulated protodermis, he would have to give it away. On the other hand, his new Enlarging Kanoka did not come from the regulated protodermis, so he had no intent of handing it over.

Kulagi finalized the Kanoka, and carved in the code name. As he reached for the regulated protodermis, he heard something behind him. He suddenly realized that there was a Matoran in the room behind him. He had heard of Gang Matoran breaks-ins before, but Turaga Dume could also be behind in somehow. Kulagi looked to the side for his Kanoka launcher, but didn't see it at all. Gripping his new Kanoka disc, he prepared to turn around.

Kulagi spun around, and saw the Matoran in the doorway. It was the Ga-Matoran he had rescued. She was shaking, but she held his Kanoka launcher, with a disc already loaded.

Kulagi relaxed, and took a step forward. "Hey, you're awake. Are you..."

"Stay back!" the Ga-Matoran yelled. She fired the Kanoka, and Kulagi leapt to the side just in time. The Onu-Metru Kanoka struck one of his tables, and shrunk it out of sight. The supplies on the table spilled across the ground. Before the Matoran could reload, Kulagi leapt forward and knocked the Kanoka launcher out of her hands.

The Ga-Matoran took a step back. "Get away from me!" she yelled. "Let me out of here!"

"Hold your Rahi," Kulagi snapped. "Who are you? I rescued you from turning into a fried Matoran in the Lava Fields, and I had to evade Vahki and Gang Matoran along the way. So you owe it to me to not go ballistic and tear apart my house!"

The Ga-Matoran blinked. "You didn't kidnap me? You don't want anything from me?"

"I'd like you to not attack me," Kulagi said. "Besides that, I don't care. I don't even know who you are. What's your name?"

"I... I'm Sufina," the Ga-Matoran stuttered. She seemed to calm down for a second. "I just... well, sorry. But who are you? Why am I here? Where is here?"

"You're in my house in Onu-Metru," Kulagi answered. "I would've dropped you off at a chute station, but you were unconscious at the time, and it is dark out now. The Rorzakh don't take kindly to Matoran outside in the dark." He grinned. "Oh, and I'm Kulagi."

Sufina hesitated. "I know that name..."

Kulagi shrugged. "Well, I am a well known Kanoka-Maker. Maybe you received one of my Kanoka before, of maybe your mask was created from a Kanoka that I carved."

Sufina's eyes went wide. "No, I know where I've heard of you before. You're that Matoran who broke into my former lab, and trashed the place!"

Kulagi rolled his eyes. "I only went into the lab because the skylight gave way beneath me. Anyway, I was looking for some good protodermis, and you Ga-Matoran always keep the best stuff to yourselves."

Sufina jumped back. "I won't give you any protodermis, and you can't make me!"

Kulagi held up his hand. "I don't want any protodermis from you. I just wanted to make sure that you survived your trip on the Lava-River. If you want to leave now, that's fine. Go ahead." He paused. "But the Vahki won't like Matoran who creep around in the dark in Onu-Metru. If you want, you can stay here. But I'm not forcing you to do anything."

Sufina narrowed her eyes. "How do I know you're not lying?"

Kulagi shrugged. "Look, I'll swear that I'm not lying. What do you want me to swear on? My mask? The Great Spirit Mata-Nui? No, wait." Kulagi pointed to the framed Kanoka disc that hung on his wall. "That's my very first Kanoka disc that I ever made. It's very special to me. I swear, on my first Kanoka, that I'm not lying to you." He looked into Sufina's eyes. "I just want to help you."

Sufina hesitated, and then bowed her head. "I believe you," she said finally. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little... paranoid."

Kulagi smiled. Despite himself, he noticed that Sufina was a rather pretty Ga-Matoran. Her light blue Kaukau mask sparkled in the dim light of his room. Kulagi realized that she was very pretty, even as Ga-Matoran go. But he decided not to push the subject. Instead, he asked, "So, Sufina, why were you taking a joy ride down the Fire River?"

Sufina hesitated. "I... I think I was kidnapped. That's why I was paranoid. For all I knew, you were just another kidnapper."

Kulagi shrugged. "That's okay, I'm not here to hurt you. But, why were you kidnapped? Who kidnapped you?"

Sufina shrugged. "It's all blurry now, but I can remember bits of it. A while ago, I was arguing with some Matoran at work. We had a big disagreement over something. The argument turned physical, and the next thing I knew, I was held prisoner."

Kulagi cringed. "What was your work? Do you play with protodermis like all those Ga-Matoran scientists?"

Sufina shrugged. "I was on a team that was trying to create energized protodermis. We were very close to creating it, but then I was kidnapped."

"What's energized protodermis?" Kulagi asked.

"It's the most powerful protodermis," Sufina answered. "We've found samples of it before. It has the power to change any being, and enhance their abilities. However, if a being is not destined to be changed, then the energized protodermis will simply destroy the being. It is really dangerous stuff."

"It sounds interesting," Kulagi replied. Silently, he wondered what type of Kanoka energized protodermis would make.

"Anyway, the Matoran who kidnapped me wanted to know about it," Sufina said. "I'm pretty sure they were Gang Matoran. I have terrifying memories of threats and torture and other horrifying things..." Sufina shuttered. "Anyway, they apparently got fed up with me, so they must've thrown me in the Fire River. Because the next think I know, I'm floating on Molten Protodermis, and there's a Hover-Bike flying next to me. And then I woke up here. I'm sorry, but I thought you were just another Gang Matoran."

Kulagi shook his head. "Not me. I usually avoid them, or shoot 'em down. Don't get me wrong... I'm not exactly behind the Turaga. But I'm not a Gang Matoran."

"Thanks," Sufina said. She looked to the ground. "I'm sorry for shooting that disc at your table."

Kulagi grinned. "No harm done. But if you don't mind I have to work on some Kanoka discs. Thanks to Turaga Dume, I suddenly have a deadline to meet and some Kanoka discs to create."

"Can I help?" Sufina asked. "I mean, I've never carved Kanoka before, but I've competed with them in the Coliseum. I'm usually pretty good with a Kanoka. It just doesn't help my aim when I'm... really nervous."

Kulagi shrugged. "Sure, I could use some help. As long as you don't steal any of my techniques, of course."

Kulagi heated up his forge, and started showing Sufina the tools he would use. They did not notice the Rorzakh lurking outside the window.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Kulagi awoke to the ring of his doorbell. He had fallen asleep next to his forge, as he worked on the last Kanoka disc. Sufina had also nodded off, and Kulagi had laid her down in his room.

Kulagi had greatly enjoyed his time with Sufina. She had a pleasant and fun attitude, and Kulagi took pleasure in her company. Although Sufina didn't have any exceptional skill in crafting Kanoka, Kulagi would like to make more discs with her in the future.

Kulagi strolled towards his door, and opened it up. "Hello..." he said wearily. But then his eyes snapped opened. "YOU!"

"Nice to see you too, Kulagi," Vakama said dully. "Dume told me that you had some Kanoka for me."

"Oh yeah," Kulagi said nastily. "I had to stay up all night making discs for you. Well, come on in. There's a pile of Kanoka for you over there."

Vakama walked over to the pile of Ta-Metru Kanoka, and Kulagi reheated his forge, so he could finalize the last disc. Vakama picked up the Kanoka, and observed them.

"A level two Regeneration disc," Vakama said. "That's good. A level three Shrinking disc... and a level one Freezing disc. These are nice, Kulagi. Wow, a level four Removes Poison disc..."

"Yes, I've got to make good discs for you mask-makers to destroy," Kulagi grumbled. "I mean, for you to make into Kanohi."

Vakama shook his head. "I don't know why you don't like us mask-makers, Kulagi. I always enjoy carving masks out of your Kanoka. I especially liked your last batch."

Yeah," Kulagi said. Then he spun around. "Wait, you mean the batch with all the powerful Kanoka?"

Vakama nodded. "Yeah. I was able to make a Great Pakari. Those were quite some powerful Kanoka."

Kulagi narrowed his eyes, and turned to Vakama. "You! You're the one who ruined all my high-powered discs! Dume stole them from me, and then you destroyed them!"

Vakama backed off. "Hey, I just carved them into a mask. Dume said that you were reluctant to give them up, but you did give them to us, right?"

"I was in the Coliseum prison when Dume took all my Kanoka!" Kulagi yelled. "He stole them!"

"You were in prison?" Vakama asked. "Again? Maybe Dume just gave away those Kanoka as your punishment." Vakama shrugged. "Besides, they were very useful. Not many Matoran can create level eight Kanoka, and we can't carve Great Kanohi masks without them. Just think of it as a generous contribution to the city, Kulagi."

"I could be contributing something to you mask-makers besides my Kanoka," Kulagi growled. But he turned away and finished up the Kanoka he was working on. Vakama continued to look through the pile of Kanoka. As he reached the last disc, he gasped.

"A level eight Enlarging Ta-Metru disc!" Vakama cried. "How in Mata-Nui did you create this? It's hard to find such a powerful Ta-Metru disc!"

"Uh oh," Kulagi said, setting aside his Kanoka. "Uh, I ordered some special protodermis from a friend on the side. I didn't even think it would turn out so powerful. That one's going in my arsenal."

"Can I have it?" Vakama asked eagerly. "I want to make this Hau, and this Kanoka would be perfect for such a mask."

"No way," Kulagi said. "I need that disc for myself, especially when I'm running low. I don't think I can part with it."

"I'll trade you for it," Vakama said. "Maybe I can pull some strings with Turaga Dume, and get you some restricted Ta-Metru protodermis. You can't turn down that deal, right?"

"Yes I can," Kulagi said quickly. He tossed Vakama the Kanoka he had just finished. "Take this instead. A level two Teleportation Kanoka. Very useful for moving large blocks around." While Kulagi would've ordinarily loved to get his hands on some restricted protodermis, he didn't want to get involved with Dume anymore. If Vakama suddenly came back with such a powerful Ta-Metru Kanoka, Dume would start to wonder.

Vakama's face fell. "All right," he said. "Just don't go selling it to some other mask-maker. If you change you mind, just call."

Kulagi was interrupted by a ring on his communicator. As he answered it, the Matoran operator said, "You have an incoming message from Po-Metru."

"Send it in," Kulagi said. His holographic projector lit up with the image of Huaju.

"Kulagi!" Huaju said. "You're still at home! I thought you would be on the run, but I decided that I'd try to call you anyway..."

"Hi, Huaju," Kulagi said loudly. "I have company over. It's Vakama, one of those mask-makers."

"Hi," Vakama said, waving. He looked confused.

"So, Huaju, can I call you back later?" Kulagi asked.

Huaju shook his head. "No, I need to warn you about something. Apparently the Vahki want you again."

Kulagi swung his head around. "What?"

Huaju nodded. "I checked the public Vahki network. They want you for causing damage in Ta-Metru and Ga-Metru, and for kidnapping. Did you ever rescue that Ga-Matoran yesterday? That might have something to do with it."

"What's this about kidnapping?" Vakama asked sternly. "And rescuing. What exactly were you doing yesterday?"

"Yeah, I rescued her, but I got chased by Vahki and Gang Matoran," Kulagi answered. "But I talked to Dume last night, and he just told me to stay out of trouble..."

"It looks like he's out to get you now," Huaju said. Suddenly, Huaju looked away. "Uh oh."

"What's wrong?" Kulagi asked.

"Thought I saw something," Huaju said. "Might be a Zadahk. Might be nothing at all, though."

"End this call," Kulagi said. "I don't want you to get busted because of me." Kulagi cut the communicator off, and then turned to Vakama. "You! You're not only a mask-maker, you're a tool of the Turaga!"

"Hey, I'm just following orders," Vakama protested.

"Yeah right," sniffed Kulagi. "Dume sent you here to grab the rest of my Kanoka, and then he'll set his Vahki on me. Well, guess what. That's not going to happen!"

The two Matoran stared at each other fiercely, but they were interrupted by Sufina as she walked into the room. "Why are you two shouting?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Who are you?" Vakama asked.

"Vakama, meet Sufina," Kulagi said. "The Matoran that I 'rescued' yesterday. Probably also the Matoran that the Vahki think I 'kidnapped' too."

"But it turns out that you didn't kidnap me," Sufina said, confused.

"That's not what the Vahki think," Kulagi said dully. "I'm going to leave right now, and try to evade the Vahki. I don't care what you two do..."

Vakama pointed to the window, as a figure moved out of sight. "You won't make it that far, Kanoka Maker. There are already Rorzakh outside. They want you for something."

"And they aren't going to let anybody out of here without a fight," Kulagi muttered. He turned to Sufina. "If you don't mind, I think I'll take you with me. It won't do you any good to just get imprisoned by Dume."

Sufina shrugged. "I guess so. But if they think you kidnapped me, wouldn't they let me go?"

"The Vahki don't 'let Matoran go'," Kulagi said. "At the very least, the Vahki will haul you to the Coliseum before Turaga Dume. I'd rather take my chances running."

"Well, then, I'll be leaving," Vakama said, taking a step towards the door.

Kulagi grinned suddenly, a wild idea forming in his head. "I don't think so, mask-maker."

"What do you mean by that?"

"If I run, and you stay behind, Turaga Dume will think you warned me. And the Vahki will certainly get you, and then you'll be spending time in the Coliseum prison."

"Even if the Vahki get you, they'll just take you to the Turaga," Vakama said. "Then you can explain the whole thing, and Dume will realize that this is just a big misunderstanding."

"Yeah right," Kulagi said. "Dume will just throw us into a prison, and take away any of the Kanoka I have left." Kulagi opened his vault, and emptied all the Onu-Metru Kanoka discs into a pack. "So the only way to avoid imprisonment is to flee. And you'll be coming with us, mask-maker."

Vakama did a double take. "What? Why? I didn't do anything?"

"And I didn't kidnap anybody either," Kulagi snapped. "But I'm getting in trouble anyway. No, Vakama, you'll be running with us. It's for your own good and for my enjoyment."

"Hold on, I can't go running from the Vahki," Vakama said. "I'm not in trouble."

Kulagi shrugged. "Well, I'm in trouble, and I'm dragging you in with me. Besides, do you have any Kanoka and a Hover-Bike?"

Vakama shrugged. "I have a level seven Ga-Metru Teleportation Kanoka, and I borrowed a Hover-Bike to get here. But why should I go with you?"

Kulagi shrugged. "Fine, have it your way. The Rorzakh love ignoring excuses."

Vakama hesitated, and then caved in. "Okay, I'll go with you. But it's against my will."

Kulagi nodded, and grabbed his Kanoka launcher. He tossed his spare to Sufina. "You said you can shoot a Kanoka disc pretty well. Do you mind helping me shoot down some Vahki?"

Sufina grabbed the Kanoka launcher. She was jittery because of the oncoming danger, but she nodded. "I have pretty good aim."

"So when do we leave?" Vakama asked.

"NOW!" Kulagi yelled. He burst out of his door, and ran towards his parked Hover-Bike. But the Vahki weren't about to let him get away so easily. The Rorzakh that had been watching Kulagi's house jumped towards the Onu-Matoran, with a Kanoka already in its jaws.

But Kulagi was ready for the attack. He lifted his Kanoka, and fired a Kanoka with the code 626. The Kanoka struck the Vahki in mid air, and encased it in a block of ice. The Vahki, although now immobile, was still operating. It sent out a distress signal on the Vahki network.

Kulagi jumped on his Hover-Bike, and Sufina jumped on behind him. Vakama got on his own borrowed Hover-Bike, and turned to Kulagi. "Where to?"

"I know a way through the archives," Kulagi said. "If we're fast, we can lose the Vahki and get away."

"Nobody loses the Vahki," Vakama shot back. "They only escape due to pure dumb luck."

Kulagi led the way over the Onu-Metru homes, and entered a nearby canyon. The canyon pierced deep into the earth, and was an easy way to reach the Onu-Metru archives. Huge blimps were floating through it, carrying supplies to archivists. In the depths of the canyon were many entrances to the Archives.

Waiting for Kulagi in the canyon was a patrol of Rorzakh in flight mode. As soon as they sighted the Hover-Bikes, they swarmed towards them.

"Get ready for some evasive action," Kulagi called to Vakama. Kulagi twisted his bike to the right, and avoided Kanoka discs shot by the Vahki. One Rorzakh closed in behind Kulagi, but Sufina had the powerful Onu-Metru Weakening disc in her launcher. She fired it, and struck down the Vahki. Another Vahki tried to cut off Kulagi, but Kulagi knocked it out of the way with his freezing Kanoka.

Vakama dipped his bike down, and Kanoka discs barely missed striking his head. "Fire back!" Kulagi shouted.

"That would make me a criminal," Vakama shouted back, as he swerved away from an incoming Vahki.

"You're running from the Vahki," Kulagi yelled. "Technically, that already makes you a criminal. So you're free to shoot down as many Vahki as you'd like."

"I'm only doing this in self-defense," Vakama growled. A Vahki was about to crash into his Hover-Bike, but Vakama fired his Teleportation Kanoka. The Vahki vanished, and reappeared a good distance away. Dazed by the sudden change in direction, the Vahki crashed into the canyon wall, and then tumbled down into the depths of the canyon.

"That's how you do it," Kulagi called to Vakama.

"Keep your eye on the sky, Kanoka Maker!" Vakama called back, as he swerved away from the Vahki.

Kulagi turned his gaze from Vakama to his own travel path. To his surprise, he found himself headed towards one of the giant blimps. Kulagi quickly turned away, and avoided a collision. But the Rorzakh following him wasn't as quick. The Vahki crashed through the top of the blimp, and tore a huge hole in it. The blimp started to fall, and to Kulagi's horror, there were Matoran aboard it.

"Stupid Vahki," Kulagi muttered, as he spun his bike around. He loaded in a level seven Onu-Metru Regeneration disc, and fired it. The Kanoka struck the blimp, and fixed the damage. The blimp still needed some repair, but now the Matoran on it could easily get to safety.

But mending the blimp had cost Kulagi too much time. Three Rorzakh shot towards him, and launched three Kanoka point blank at Kulagi. Kulagi started to swerve, but he saw that it was hopeless.

Then another disc shot by, and the Vahki's Kanoka were diverted off course. Kulagi realized that one of the Matoran on the blimp had shot off a Po-Metru Kanoka, as a "Thank You" for fixing their blimp. That Kanoka had saved Kulagi from losing to the Vahki.

Kulagi and Vakama flew around more blimps and avoided Vahki attacks. Kulagi dipped down, and headed towards the depths of the canyon. "Get ready, Vakama," he yelled. "We're going to make a sharp turn."

"What?" Vakama called.

"NOW!" Kulagi shouted. He spun his bike around, and shot towards the canyon wall. He flew into an opening, wide enough to hold a blimp, which led to the archives. Vakama easily followed Kulagi, but many Vahki overshot the entrance.

"You're leading us through the archives?" cried Vakama. "We'll get lost, and the Vahki will have us!"

Kulagi shook his head. "No, it's a shortcut I know. It beats using the chutes, which the Vahki can easily shut down. This way, we can get away before most of the Vahki are onto us. Now get ready, there's a sharp turn up ahead..."

Kulagi led Vakama through a series of tunnels, and the Vahki behind them fell further and further behind. Kulagi grinned. "Okay, we're doing pretty good now. Up ahead this tunnel intersects another one, and we'll have to turn to the left..."

However, as they arrived at the intersection, they found three Rorzakh waiting for them. The Vahki prepared to act, but Kulagi, Sufina, and Vakama fired their Kanoka. One Vahki froze, one was weakened, and one was teleported out of sight. However, as they turned the corner, more Vahki were coming up behind them.

"They're catching up," Sufina called desperately.

"They knew where we were going," Vakama called.

Kulagi nodded grimly. "One of us must've gotten stuck by their Staffs of Presence. Now they can see through our eyes and listen through our ears. But they still don't know what we're thinking, and they don't know where we're going unless we talk about it or see it."

"Then what do we do?" Vakama asked.

"I have an idea," Kulagi said. "But for it to work, you need to follow me and do what I say, when I say it."

"What are you going to do?" Sufina asked.

"I'll lead the Vahki into a trap," Kulagi said with a grin. "Oops! I let out the big secret."

Kulagi flew through more archive tunnels, and the Vahki were getting closer. Suddenly, after a quick turn, they could see light streaming through an exit.

"Vakama, let's go at full force," Kulagi said. "But load your disc launcher. We're going to need it."

The Vahki appeared behind Kulagi and Vakama, and they rushed towards the exit. As Kulagi burst out of the tunnel, he spun around his bike and fired an Onu-Metru Enlarging Kanoka at a rock on the ground. The rock grew from the size of a pebble to the size of a boulder. Kulagi quickly reloaded in a Regeneration Kanoka, and fired it at the newly formed boulder. The Regeneration disc caused the rock to multiply, and the new material completely blocked the exit. Most of the Vahki found themselves trapped in the archives. The few Vahki that managed to make it through were quickly shot down by Vakama and Sufina.

"We did it," Sufina said happily.

"But the Vahki can still overhear us," Vakama said. "They can still track us."

"The effect wears off after a while, and are only effective at short distances," Kulagi said. "If we can get away before the Vahki escape, we stand a chance of losing them."

"But where can we go?" Vakama asked.

"I know a chute system that'll lead us through Ko-Metru, and then to Le-Metru," Kulagi responded. "I know a place in Le-Metru where we can settle."

"Where?" Vakama asked.

Kulagi grinned. "I'll tell you when the Rorzakh's staff effects have worn off. For now, just follow me!"


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Kulagi landed his Hover-Bike next to the Le-Matoran home. "We're here."

Vakama landed beside him. "You got lucky, Kanoka Maker," he said. "You had the Rorzakh distracted long enough for us to get away, and we managed to avoid all Keerakh in Ko-Metru. But what good will it do for us to be in Le-Metru?"

"I have a friend here," Kulagi said, gesturing to the house.

"Another common criminal?" sneered Vakama.

Kulagi shot Vakama a nasty look. "No. It's a fellow Kanoka Maker. I've been friends with him for a while."

Sufina hopped off Kulagi's Hover-Bike. "Does he make lots of Kanoka like you?" she asked Kulagi.

Kulagi shrugged. "He specializes in Le-Metru Kanoka. He's pretty good at crafting the Kanoka, but he is a bit odd. Just to warn you guys."

The three Matoran stepped up to the door, and Kulagi knocked. After a few moments, a loud voice greeted them through the door. "Password?"

Vakama and Sufina exchanged glances, but Kulagi remained calm. "It's just a password," he told them. Then, he turned to the door and said, "Uh, the password? Five, twenty-four, uh, seven."

"WRONG!" the voice cried out. "Prepare to be annihilated!" The door swung opened to reveal a Le-Matoran with a green Kakama. He held a loaded Kanoka launcher, and appeared to be ready to fire. Sufina and Vakama leapt back, but Kulagi stood his ground.

"Sorry," he said. "Five, twenty four, eight."

"Password accepted," the Matoran said suddenly. He tilted his head, and then seemed to recognize the Onu-Matoran. "KULAGI!"

The Le-Matoran swung his hand up high, and Kulagi did likewise. They exchanged a high-five, and then they swung their hands down low and exchanged a low-five. The Le-Matoran preformed a some more crazy arm movements, which Kulagi mimicked. When finished with their interactive greeting, the Le-Matoran said, "Nice you see you again, buddy. Who's the dude and dudette?"

Kulagi gestured to his two companions. "This is Sufina, the protodermis chemist. And this is Vakama. Sufina, Vakama, meet Triki."

The Le-Matoran named Triki nodded his head. "Yep, that's me. Orange dude, what do you do? Do you lava surf? I hear its fun for Matoran. Maybe not for lava eels, but for Matoran."

Vakama rolled his eyes, and Kulagi grinned. "Hey, Triki, guess what. Vakama's... a mask-maker!"

Triki's eyes went wide. He slowly walked around Vakama, observing him closely. Vakama himself was very nervous. Suddenly, Triki shouted out, "SWEETNESS!" and gave Vakama a playful punch on the shoulder. Vakama was knocked off his feet, and fell sharply to the ground.

Triki jumped happily up and down, and Vakama got to his feet. "Why'd you do that?"

"You mask-makers are awesome!" Triki said. "Coolest Matoran on the island. Maybe not as cool as frozen Ko-Matoran, but still cool. YEAH!"

"Glad some people respect my profession," Vakama said with a look to Kulagi. Kulagi avoided his gaze.

"So, what brings y'all to Triki's Magical Residence?" Triki asked. "Up for some gnarly disc surfing?"

Kulagi shook his head. "We're here because we've had a little Vahki and Turaga trouble," he replied. "Would you mind if we crash here for a while?"

"Crash away!" Triki said with a grin. "Just don't fall on anything sharp. I'm very good at crashing. Better than everybody except maybe a Mukau. Do Mukau crash well? I've never asked one."

The four Matoran entered Triki's house, which happened to be very messy. Triki had all sorts of junk littering his room, from Kanoka discs to carving tools to broken furniture. The only clear spot in the room was Triki's forge, where he made Kanoka.

Kulagi bent down and picked up a Kanoka. "Ah, level seven. You've found a way around the Vahki, haven't you, Triki?"

Triki nodded. "Vorzakh can't hit the broadside of the Moto-Hub. Maybe Kinloka can... never had to run from one of those." He paused for a moment, and then said, "Oh, and I found a good spot to find good protodermis too. That's how I make powerful Kanoka. Yeah!"

Vakama picked up a Kanoka as well. "I've never heard of you before, Triki. Do you ever send Kanoka to Ta-Metru to be made into Kanohi?"

"Nope, them mask-makers don't like my discs," Triki said. "You guys are AWESOME!"

"Does he tend to yell a lot?" Sufina whispered to Kulagi, as Vakama picked through more of Triki's Kanoka.

Kulagi grinned. "I told you he was a bit odd. Though I've met a few archivists who're just as bad. But they can't shoot a Kanoka to save their lives."

"Hey, something's wrong," Vakama said suddenly. "This disc has a power level of two point five. Is that a typo?"

Triki shook his head vigorously. "Nope. Totally correct. Totally useless too. Who'd want a Kanoka disc with a power level of two and a half? Nobody, I tell you. NOBODY! Well, maybe an Ussal crab. I've never asked one before."

"But it's impossible to have a half of a power level," Vakama protested. He turned to Kulagi. "Right? You can't make Kanoka like that, right?"

Kulagi shrugged. "I don't know; I've never tried it before. I always prefer to have very powerful discs. Why settle for half a power level when you can have a whole one?"

"Why would anybody want a Kanoka disc with half a power level?" Vakama wondered out loud.

"Oh, I have an answer!" Triki said suddenly. "I have marvelously good answer for you. Just a sec!" He jumped into a pile of junk, and searched intently for something. When he resurfaced, he was holding onto a mask.

"Is that a Kanohi mask?" Sufina asked.

Triki nodded. "I crafted it. Nifty, huh?"

Vakama shook his head. "I don't believe it. A Le-Matoran mask-maker! But that's either a new type of mask... or it's very poorly made."

"Oh, it's a new mask I quick-invent!" Triki said cheerfully. "I combined a Shrinking Kanoka, a Enlarging Kanoka, and a Regeneration Kanoka to create... the Triki Mask! YEAH!"

"The Triki Mask?" Vakama repeated, shaking his head. "No, no, no, you've got it all wrong. You can't just combine random Kanoka to make a mask. The Kanoka need to be of the same power level, and be able to fuse together correctly. Shrinking discs and Enlarging discs don't normally fuse together that well."

"I fuse them together, and make mask that I can use," Triki said. "It has a wickedly awesome power! You want to see?"

Vakama shook his head again. "Matoran can't use mask powers. To make a Noble Mask, you need level seven Kanoka. And Noble Masks are too powerful for a Matoran. We can't use mask powers."

"Ha, I beated the system!" Triki exclaimed. "I combined a level six and a half Shrinking Kanoka, a level six and a half Enlarging Kanoka, and a level six and a half Regeneration Kanoka, and made the Triki Mask! It has some power in it, but not too much for a Matoran. I RULE! Who rules? Yes, I rule!"

Vakama was about to speak, but then he remained silent and thoughtful. "You know what, that is an interesting idea. How does the mask work?"

"I'll show ya!" Triki said with a wild grin. He slapped on the mask over his Kakama, and focused intently. The three other Matoran watched in awe as the mask started to glow. Then Triki activated its powers, and beams of energized light shot out from the mask. Kulagi, Sufina, and Vakama dove for cover as the beams smashed into objects, and re-cluttered Triki's room. Electricity built up on the mask, and it flew off Triki's face, and landed in the mass of junk that was blown through Triki's room. Triki walked around randomly, with electricity still crackling across his Kakama.

Vakama pushed what appeared to be part of a Vahki transport leg off of him. "That's insane. Kulagi, I think that mask has fried Triki's brain!"

Kulagi helped Sufina too her feet. "Nope, he much calmer now that he uses that mask every once in a while."

"Triki can't make masks!" Vakama yelled, as he threw a spare Kanoka disc aside. The disc shattered, and Vakama added, "And he can't make Kanoka either! He's a threat to society!"

"He's just inventive," Kulagi insisted. "He is always trying to find new ways to make stuff. And he's smart enough to hide his inventive side from the Turaga. And when he uses tradition methods, he can make quite a Le-Metru Kanoka. Last year, one of his discs won in the distance shooting competition." Kulagi grinned. "But he got disqualified for celebrating too loudly."

"I don't have to stay here!" Vakama growled. "I'm walking to the nearest chute station, and then I'm reporting to Dume, and then I'm going home!"

"Yeah right!" Kulagi said with a laugh. "You took off with me. Dume thinks you're a traitor and a criminal now! You don't have anywhere to go!"

"Neither do you!" Vakama yelled. "Dume will hunt you down until he has you!"

"I don't think so," Kulagi said. "I can fend off the Vahki, and if I lay low for a while, the whole thing will blow over, and then I can go back home. No problem."

"Do you think Dume's memory is that short-termed?" Vakama hissed.

Kulagi shrugged. "Whatever. If you try to turn yourself in now, Vakama... you'll turn into a Vorzakh shambler!"

"Fine," Vakama snarled. "But when the Vahki have cooled down... I'm going to Dume and I'm proving my innocence. I don't know why I don't just walk away right now."

"It's probably just that trill of adventure you have deep down inside," Kulagi commented with a grin.

"Oh yeah, this is adventure," Vakama grunted, gesturing to Triki, who was still wandering about, oblivious to their conversation.

Triki snapped out of his trance. "So is that a wickedly groovy mask, mask-maker?"

"No," Vakama said simply.

"Maybe you can help me fix out some of the kinks," Triki suggested. "Or help me find it. Where'd it ever-drop?"

"I make real masks," Vakama said. "Out of real discs. I can't help you with... that mask."

"Oh well," Triki said. "Is that swell? Or maybe it's a snail! Do you know any mask making snails?"

Sufina had remained quiet during the whole scene. Finally, she turned to Kulagi and said, "I think I'll get some rest. That chase wore me out a bit..."

"Go ahead, if you can find a place to lie down," Kulagi said. "What I need to do is go carve some discs. Hey, Triki, can you lead me to your protodermis stash?"

Triki tilted his head. "Sure. I'll quick-travel there like a Gukko bird. How do Gukko birds travel? I don't know, I should ask one sometime. Do you know how to ask Gukko birds questions?"

Kulagi shook his head. "No, but I know how to quick-travel. Let's go get some protodermis!"


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Do you know about the Matoran janitors?" Vakama asked. "Who clean up at the Po-Metru Rahi Zoo?"

Kulagi shrugged. "Nope. Sounds like they have a messy job."

"They probably do," Vakama replied. "But they would rather clean up the Zoo than come here and try to clean up Triki's home."

Kulagi looked up from his Kanoka disc. He was creating more on Triki's spare forge. "It isn't that messy."

Vakama kicked a pile of junk, and he heard something squeak and run away. "The problem is, they would still have to deal with Rahi attacks," he said. "Only in here, the Rahi would be hiding."

"You complain too much," Kulagi pointed out.

"I complain too much?" cried out Vakama. "I was dragged into this against my will, forced to flee for my life, and then sent to a junkyard of a home..."

Vakama ranted on for a while, and walked about the house. Triki and Kulagi both sat at their forges, crafting out Kanoka discs. Kulagi was using his special techniques for Le-Metru Kanoka, and paid very close attention to his work, but Triki randomly molded the protodermis, changing bits here and there as he was struck by new inspiration. Sufina leaned against a table, and watched Kulagi.

"Tell me something about Kanoka discs," she said, as Vakama continued his ranting.

Kulagi look up. "Like what?"

Sufina shrugged. "Anything. Just to pass the time."

Kulagi breathed in. "Well, there's an old legend about the Kanoka makers. The first disc they ever make can determine what their Kanoka career will be like. The power type determines what happens to them, and the power level determines how intense it is."

Sufina laughed. "That sounds like a legend you'd be interested in," she said.

Kulagi grinned. "Well, it's not fully backed up, but I can relate to it. My first Kanoka was a level eight Onu-Metru Enlarging disc. The Enlarging property meant that I would always make powerful discs, and the power level determined how obsessed I would be over it."

Sufina gave Kulagi a sideways look. "That sounds like a very accurate prediction."

Kulagi nodded. "I know. And I've always kept that disc, framed in my home. It represents my passion for making Kanoka discs, and I don't want to give that away easily."

"So does that legend apply to any other Kanoka Makers?" Sufina asked.

Kulagi shrugged. "My friend Huaju is a Kanoka Maker who travels around the island all the time, and puts his Kanoka to good use. He makes some pretty powerful Po-Metru Kanoka. I think his first disc was a Teleportation Kanoka."

"And Triki?"

Kulagi smiled widely. "Triki's first disc was a Reconstructs at Random Kanoka. Which explains his inventive properties."

"DISC FINISHED!" Triki exclaimed. He threw it up into the air, but in landed in a pile of broken tools. Triki dove in to retrieve it.

"Junkyard is an understatement for this place," Vakama growled.

Kulagi rolled his eyes. He picked his finalized disc off of the forge. "Here we go. A level eight Removes Poison Kanoka. That's some fine protodermis you have there, Triki."

Triki jumped out of the pile with his Kanoka, and fitted it in his launcher. "I made uber-cool Kanoka too!" he said. "Code 517. TEST TIME!"

Kulagi and Vakama both turned their heads and shouted, "Don't shoot that disc!"

Too late. Triki fired the Kanoka, and it flew towards Sufina. Sufina jumped out of the way, and the Kanoka struck the table. The table's legs suddenly bent, and large green boils erupted across its skin. Along one edge, a mouth opened, and gnarling fangs hung out, dripping with venom. The table turned towards Sufina, and growled.

"Watch out!" Kulagi yelled. He fitted his new Kanoka into his launcher, and fired it. The Kanoka struck the table, and the green boils vanished. The table, no longer growling, walked up and rubbed against Sufina's leg. It started purring contently.

"I think it likes you," Triki said simply to Sufina.

'Yeah," Sufina said, slightly worried that the table would start attacking again. "So Triki can still make good Reconstructs at Random Kanoka?"

"Yep," Kulagi responded. "Thanks for the practice, Triki. I got to test out my Kanoka as well. Just be more careful when you're aiming discs like that."

"No problem," Triki said. He leaned over and petted the table. "Good table. Very good table. Would you like a table rub..."

"He just used a Reconstructs at Random disc to create a monstrous pet out of a table," Vakama muttered. "A poisonous pet at first. That does it; I'm getting out of here."

"Yeah right, the Vahki will get you, and send you to the Coliseum prison," Kulagi said.

"They'll bring me to Dume, then I can explain what's going on, and I can get away and go home," Vakama shot back.

"Dume wouldn't listen," Kulagi argued.

"He would listen, if you stopped for a moment to trust him and explain things to him," Vakama hissed. "But that's beyond you, Kanoka Maker."

Kulagi narrowed his eyes. "Yes it is, Vakama. Hey, why don't you carve a mask or something, to keep yourself occupied."

"I don't want to make masks here," Vakama said. "I want to get out of here and go home!"

"Well, then maybe you could just stop venting out your anger and just shut up," snapped Kulagi.

"Yeah, shut up!" Triki cried. "Up shut! Shut down? Open up! Yeah." He leaned against his Kanoka launcher, which had a partially made Kanoka inside it. He accidentally fired the Kanoka, and it ricocheted across the room, breaking random objects. The four Matoran dove for cover as the disc shot about.

Kulagi cringed as he heard the window shatter. "Triki, I think your disc just shot out the window!"

Triki was hiding under the table, which has recently turned back into a table. He picked up a Kanoka. "No it didn't. Unless it back-fly through window again. Black-fly? Black Bula berry pie! Yum!"

Vakama got up, and walked over to the wreckage of the window. "No, Triki's disc didn't do this," he said. "Somebody shot a Kanoka into the window. A Ko-Metru Kanoka."

Vakama tossed Kulagi the Kanoka, and he looked at it. "A Kanoka with the code 436. Not a bad disc... but there's a note on the back!" Kulagi ripped the note off, and read it out loud. "'They know where you are, Kanoka Maker. You can't hide anymore. If you escape, meet us at Knowledge Tower 429 in Ko-Metru.' That's it. Who would know that we're here."

"Maybe it's the Vahki," Vakama said simply. "I'd bet they'd love to come for you, Kulagi."

"But the Vahki would just come bursting in, without any warning..." Kulagi started.

"It sounds like something a Gang Matoran would do!" Sufina said with a gasp. "But why?"

"That's odd," Kulagi said. "Gang Matoran with level six Kanoka. They could've only gotten those if..." Kulagi froze. "Oh no!"

"What?" Sufina and Vakama asked.

Kulagi rushed over, and started stuffing all of his Kanoka into his pack. "The Gang Matoran know where we are, and they tipped off the Vahki. That's how they got these powerful Kanoka. They traded them by telling the Vahki where we are. We're going to have to run for it again. Triki, do you have a Hover-Bike?"

"Yeah, over there," Triki said, as he gestured to the corner of his rooms. Scattered pieces of a Hover-Bike lay there.

Kulagi paused. "Okay... Triki, you can ride on Vakama's borrowed Hover-Bike. Now, we've got to leave right now!"

"Leave? Why?" Triki asked. "I got pie coming. Pie fly by black sky..."

"But if we stay here, then the Vahki will find us..."

Something else burst through the window. Only this time, instead of shattering the window, it smashed through the entire wall. And instead of being a Kanoka disc, this new object was an eager Vorzakh Vahki.

"Too late!" Vakama shouted, as he grabbed his Kanoka launcher. "They've found us!"

The Vahki turned to fire a Kanoka at Vakama, but Kulagi was ready. He sent his freezing disc flying, and the Vahki was suddenly a frozen statue. Yet more Vahki were jumping through the hole in the wall.

"Vakama, Sufina, get out of here!" Kulagi yelled. "I'll hold them back!"

"Me too!" Triki yelled. He fired a partially made Kanoka at a Vorzakh. The Vahki shattered the disc with a wave of its staff.

Vakama and Sufina raced out the door, and Kulagi fired Kanoka after Kanoka. His Teleportation disc caused a Vahki to completely vanish. His Shrinking Kanoka turned one Vorzakh into a Miniature Toy Vahki. Another Weakening disc took yet another Vahki down. Yet the Vahki stormed into the room, firing blasts from their staffs and shooting Kanoka. Triki's room turned from a mess into a disaster zone.

Triki jumped into a pile of debris to avoid Kanoka shots. When he resurfaced, he was grinning. "Ha, I found my Triki mask!"

Kulagi fired another Weakening Kanoka. "Be careful, friend!"

"Feel the power of TRIKI!" Triki yelled. He jumped up and placed the mask on his face. At that instant, the wall behind him shattered, and more Vorzakh poured into the room. One of the Vahki fired its stun staff, and caught Triki dead on, and turned him into a mindless shambler.

Unfortunately for the Vahki, Triki happened to be a mindless Matoran wearing a Kanohi mask. Somehow, Triki managed to activate his mask's power and bright beams of light started to shoot out. The Vahki hesitated as the room was filled with these beams, and then they retreated as Triki's mask started causing havoc in the room.

"TRIKI!" Kulagi yelled. But he could see that his friend was lost. Instead, Kulagi took off for his Hover-Bike while Triki distracted the Vahki. As Kulagi tore out of the door, he saw Vakama and Sufina already on Vakama's bike.

"Get out of here!" Kulagi yelled. "The Vahki are after me. I'll meet you guys on the Ko-Metru border if I escape. Now get out of here!"

Vakama accelerated his Hover-Bike, and shot into the distance. Kulagi was uncertain if he trusted Vakama, but he had no choice. The Vahki were finished with Triki, and now came rushing towards Kulagi.

Kulagi hopped on his bike, and took off. He headed towards the busy section of Le-Metru, where the air was filled with flying crafts. However, Kulagi remembered who was chasing him. If he flew amongst civilian traffic, the Vorzakh would cause chaos in their efforts to get him. Not wanting to harm any Matoran, Kulagi turned into a small side alley between two large Le-Metru buildings. The Vorzakh behind him shifted into their flying modes, and shot after him.

Kulagi twisted through the alleyways of Le-Metru, and they kept on getting skinnier. Soon, Kulagi turned into an alleyway that was wide enough for only two Vahki to fly through side by side. The patrol of Vorzakh had to spread out in order to continue the chase, and Kulagi used this to his advantage. One of the Vahki shifted slightly to fire a Kanoka in Kulagi's direction, but it knocked the other Vahki off course. The two Vorzakh collided, and Kulagi lost them as they tumbled away.

"Ha, you'll have to be better than that to keep up with me!" Kulagi shouted. With a quick glance behind him, he couldn't see any more pursuing Vahki. He aimed his Hover-Bike into the air, and rose above the building. Quickly, he headed towards the nearest chute network.

"Ha, and to think I was worried," Kulagi said. "Those Vahki are a dumb as the Cable Crawlers they try to capture..."

A Kanoka appeared out of nowhere, and skimmed the side of Kulagi's Hover-Bike. Kulagi lost control of the steering, and his bike went twirling down through the air. Kulagi leapt off it as it slammed into the roof of a Le-Metru building. Kulagi got to his feet, shaken but unharmed. The patrol of Vahki had snuck up on him, and caught him off guard.

"Oh, they want a fight, do they..." Kulagi started, as he took a Le-Metru Weakening disc from his pack and loaded it into his launcher. Suddenly, another Kanoka struck the roof behind him, causing a minor explosion. Kulagi was thrown through the air, and he lost his grip on his pack. Kulagi slammed into the roof, and turned to see his pack fly over the side of the building, along with the rest of his Kanoka.

"Oh no..." Kulagi started. He took a moment to consider, but realized that he needed that pack to continue his resistance against the Vahki. So as the Vorzakh landed behind him, Kulagi ran and jumped over the edge of the building.

Kulagi felt the cool Le-Metru air whip by his face. He opened his eyes to see the vast building flash by as he fell. Below him, his pack tumbled through the air as well. The Le-Metru building was enormously high, and Kulagi's fall would last for quite some time.

Kulagi spun through the air, and got closer to his pack. Behind him, the Vahki jumped off the building and continued their chase. Finally, Kulagi was close enough to his pack, and he reached out and snagged it out of the air. As he strapped it on, he saw the ground coming closer and closer. Nothing stood between him and a crushing death.

Except for a vast network of chutes.

"Looks like I'll be disc surfing after all," Kulagi muttered. He pulled out his highest powered Le-Metru Teleportation Kanoka, and kept a balance on it. He slowly glided towards the nearest chute. As the edge got closer and closer, Kulagi readied his launcher. Once he was within range, Kulagi fired his Weakening disc, which reduced the resistance on the edges of the chute. Instead of slamming into the chute wall, Kulagi dove into it as if it were simply water.

Once inside the chute, Kulagi could easily navigate his way around on his Teleportation Kanoka. While Kulagi had never been an expert at disc surfing, he knew the basics well enough to allow him to move around a regular chute system.

The Vahki crashed through the edge of the chute as well, using their staffs to create openings. Once inside, they joined the flow, and fired Kanoka discs at Kulagi. The protodermis solution that filled chutes slowed down the Kanoka enough for Kulagi to dodge them, but the Vorzakh were used to fighting criminals within the chutes. They spread of in formation, and charged towards Kulagi.

Kulagi was ready. A side chute branched off from the main channel, and Kulagi swerved to the side just in time. A few Vahki managed follow him, but the majority was swept away down the main chute.

This new branch took Kulagi and the Vahki up into the air, and above the buildings. Kulagi was filled with relief as he found himself above the building where he had left his Hover-Bike. Quickly, he glided down to the edge of the chute, and fired his Weakening disc at the edge again. He burst out into the empty air, and fell towards the building. The remaining Vahki tried to react in time, but the chute carried them away too quickly.

Kulagi glided down towards the building on his Kanoka, but his next challenge would be much more difficult that those he had faced already. The edge of the building rushed up towards him, and Kulagi jumped for it. Kulagi managed to grab the edge of the building, and stop his fall. Below him, his Kanoka disc fell away.

"Pity, that was a good disc," Kulagi said, as he hauled himself back onto the roof. His arms were very sore, but he sighed with relief. "I definitely got lucky on that one. I'd like to see the Vahki keep up with those moves..."

On cue, a Vorzakh suddenly appeared behind Kulagi, having escaped from the chute in time. Kulagi heard it, and spun around in time to fire his Weakening disc. However, at that exact instance, the Vahki fired its own Kanoka. Kulagi caught the Vahki, and cause it to fall over. But the Vahki's own Kanoka caught Kulagi on the shoulder, and sent him crashing down too.

Kulagi closed his eyes, and waited for unconsciousness to take him. When it failed to do so, Kulagi opened his eyes. His shoulder was now numb and sore, but he was unharmed throughout the rest of his body. As he got to his feet, he saw the Kanoka the Vahki had fired at him.

"A level one Le-Metru Weakening Kanoka?" Kulagi gasped, and then he burst out laughing. "Dume arms these Vahki with weak Kanoka, and then sends them after me! What a fool. No wonder they haven't hit me with a Kanoka. Those Kanoka aren't powerful enough to take on a crazed Braka. They can't do anything to someone like me!"

Kulagi retrieved his pack, and then observed his Hover-Bike. The Vahki has thrown it out of the air, but there was only minimal damage to the fins. It would still fly. Kulagi jumped on, and started it up. Suddenly, he could see the patrol of Vahki that he had lost earlier. They were back.

But this time Kulagi had a plan that could take them all out in one blow. Activating his Hover-Bike, he shot through the air and entered yet another chute. The Vahki followed him without a second thought.

Kulagi traveled through the chute, avoiding the debris that floated amongst the protodermis. The Vahki followed, and fired blasts from their staffs and Kanoka. Kulagi fired an Enlarging Kanoka at a chunk of metal, causing it to quadruple its size. The metal crushed a few Vahki who were unable to avoid it.

Kulagi sped up, and the Vahki stayed hot on his tail. But then Kulagi sighted the danger, and quickly burst out of the side of the chute. The Vorzakh were against unable to react quick enough to follow him, and this time, the results were fatal. The Vahki were sucked into a Force Sphere, and it tore apart the robotic enforcers.

Kulagi hovered in the air, and watched the end of the Vahki. "Nobody gets me! Make sure to pass that message to Dume!" With that, he turned his bike in the direction of Ko-Metru.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The wind blew gently between the Knowledge Towers in Ko-Metru. The Knowledge Towers were on the edge of Ko-Metru, near the border with Le-Metru. The towers had once been populated by many Ko-Matoran scholars, but now they lay empty and abandoned. The Vahki patrolled the area often, in search for the only kind of Matoran who ever visited this section of the Metru: Gang Matoran.

A lone Hover-Bike flew between the towers. Kulagi had his Kanoka launcher loaded and his eye on the lookout for trouble. However, despite his search, he saw no signs of Vakama or Sufina.

"That mask-maker better not have gone back to Turaga Dume!" growled Kulagi. "If he did..."

Before he could continue, he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. Kulagi spun around his bike, ready to face an ambushing Vahki, but instead found another Hover-Bike heading towards him. Atop it were Vakama and Sufina.

Kulagi sighed with relief. "I'm glad you two made it."

Vakama grunted. "Good to see you managed to escape from the Vorzakh. More dumb luck, I suppose."

"Where's Triki?" Sufina asked.

Kulagi sighed. "He didn't make it."

"You're just dragging everybody into this," Vakama sneered. "First, you drag me in because I'm just following orders, and then you lead the Vahki to that crazy Le-Matoran's house, and get him caught. Not that it's that much of a problem; Triki probably will enjoy his new cell in the Coliseum prison..."

"Quiet, mask-maker!" snapped Kulagi. "Look, I'll find a way to help Triki out. I'll find a way to get the both of you to safety, so you don't get into any more trouble. I don't care if the Nuurahk get you, Vakama, but I want to get Sufina somewhere safe. After that, I'll lead on the Vahki alone. But... I need your help for one last adventure."

"What's that?" Vakama hissed. "Going to find some other Matoran who's house you can take over?"

Kulagi narrowed his eyes, but didn't respond to Vakama's remark. "No. I got a message telling me to come to Ko-Metru, and I'm going."

"What!" Sufina cried. "Kulagi, if those are Gang Matoran... they won't follow any rules. They play dirty, and you could get into some real trouble."

Kulagi laughed. "Unfortunately for the Gang Matoran, I know how to play dirty as well. After all, with my Kanoka, they won't stand a chance. I'll make a first impression that will blow them away. Literally." But Kulagi's smiled faded. "The Gang Matoran wanted me for something. They wouldn't go to all the trouble to find me in Le-Metru if they didn't have some dire need."

"You want to go help out the Gang Matoran?" Vakama asked.

Kulagi shook his head. "I'll find out what they want from me. Then I won't give it to them. If they're looking for some high powered Kanoka discs, I might be able to give them some of those." He grinned. "Smack dab in the center of their masks. I'll just cripple them, and then leave the rest for the Keerakh."

"And you want us for what?" Vakama asked.

"I might need some backup," Kulagi explained. "I know where Knowledge Tower 429 is, and there's another tower nearby where you and Sufina can hide. If I have lots of Gang Matoran on my tail when I try to escape, I could use a little outside help."

"Where are you going to meet these Matoran?" Sufina asked.

Kulagi considered this. "Probably in the basement. Knowledge Tower 429 was once very important but it has fallen into disrepair. Yet it still has a large basement, which would be the perfect place for a Matoran to hide. And the walls are very brittle as well." Kulagi held up a level seven Le-Metru Weakening Kanoka. "If I get in trouble, I'll shoot this through the roof, so you can see it. I'll just need you to cover for me while I get to my Hover-Bike. If I don't show up in five minutes, I'll probably be dead."

"Then I won't be too hopeful," Vakama sneered.

But Sufina nodded. "We'll help you, Kulagi. It's the least we can do. But I still think you should go now and not meet these Matoran. They probably have some trick planned for you."

"How do you even know so much about this are, anyway?" Vakama asked. "It's been abandoned for years!"

Kulagi shrugged. "Okay, so I once took some protodermis from the base of Knowledge Tower 429. It would've made some exceptionally powerful Ko-Metru Kanoka... but the Keerakh were waiting for me, and captured me. A very embarrassing moment."

"Your criminal past sure is useful," Vakama said. "Maybe the Gang Matoran want to enroll you into their program."

"I still wouldn't join," Kulagi said coolly. "So, are you going to help me out, Vakama?"

Vakama hesitated for a moment, then said, "Fine, I'll cover you. But after this, I'm going home. I don't care if the Vahki bring me to Dume in shackles; I'm not going to run from the law after this."

"Thanks, mask-maker," Kulagi said. 'I guess I can count on you for now. Follow me..."

Kulagi led Vakama and Sufina between the Knowledge Towers, until they finally reached their destination. Kulagi settled his bike on a second Knowledge Tower, overlooking Knowledge Tower 429. "From here, you guys can back me up if I need any help," he said.

Vakama jumped off his Hover-Bike, and observed the tall tower. "To think, something so mighty and important has turned into a headquarters for the scum of the island," he muttered. "Get going, Kulagi. I don't have all day to wait up here."

"Good luck," Sufina said, softly, but she was worried. "Don't get into too much trouble."

"I won't," Kulagi said with a smile. He jumped back onto his Hover-Bike, and flew towards the ground. He parked his bike next to the main entrance to the Knowledge Tower's basement.

With his pack of Kanoka on his back and his launcher at his side, Kulagi knocked on the door. A small eyepiece slid opened, revealing the eye of a Gang Matoran. "What do you want?" it grumbled.

"I'm here for a... appointment," Kulagi said.

The Matoran behind the door laughed. "Ha. You're probably a slimy spy for the Turaga and his Vahki!"

"I don't work for Dume or his Keerakh," Kulagi snapped. "You wanted me here, now let me in before I blow this door down!"

The Matoran hesitated. "Who are you?"

"I'm Kulagi, the Kanoka Maker."

"Ah," the Matoran said, and slid the eyepiece shut. After a few moments, the door opened, revealing a dungy Ko-Matoran. "Welcome to Knowledge Tower 429, Kanoka Maker. The Boss has been waiting for you."

The Gang Matoran led Kulagi into the basement of the Knowledge Tower. The majority of the basement was filled with giant ice pillars, which had prophetic writings carved onto them. The pillars were large and plentiful, and created quite an intricate maze throughout the basement. But the Gang Matoran led Kulagi to a small clearing, where three other Gang Matoran waited.

"Ah Kanoka Maker!" one of the Matoran said. "It is so nice of you to respond to our... invitation."

The other Gang Matoran scowled at Kulagi, but stood in a non-threatening stance. The lead Gang Matoran was the one who addressed Kulagi. Kulagi could tell he was the leaded because he was also the largest of the Matoran. He appeared to be a Ta-Matoran, but he wore a dark brown Matatu. He also had the tone of a leader in power.

"Allow me to introduce myself," he said. "I am Gragu. The Gang Matoran simply call me 'Boss'. You can take you pick, Kanoka Maker."

"How about I call you Fat-Mask," Kulagi said. "Why do you want me here?"

"I just wanted to talk with one of the most famous Kanoka Makers," Gragu said with a wicked smile.

Kulagi sneered. "Listen, Air-For-Brains, I know you're all Gang Matoran, and I know you don't want to simply discuss the art of Kanoka. So cut the pleasantries!"

"Onu-Matoran," Gragu said, shaking his head. "They are always so impatient. They always want to get to the point, and never want to listen to the fine details."

"I have my reasons for not wanting to be here for a long time," Kulagi snapped. "For one thing, the smell is terrible."

Gragu narrowed his eyes, and his friendly appearance vanished. "Very well then. Kulagi, I believe you are aware of Energized Protodermis?"

Kulagi shrugged. "So what. It's powerful stuff, but I can't make a Kanoka out of it. Why do I care?"

"Energized Protodermis is the most powerful substance known on Metru-Nui," Gragu continued. "It has the unique ability to transform objects, or simply destroy them altogether. Once a being has been exposed to Energized Protodermis, they gain powers beyond their wildest imagination. Powers that are beyond anything they've ever had before..."

Despite himself, Kulagi was getting jittery listening to Gragu's talk of power. So he interrupted the Gang Matoran. "Listen, I don't have any of this Energized Protodermis, and I don't know where to find any of it. So I think you wasted your time talking to me."

"I think not," Gragu said. "Let us move on to other matters, Kulagi. The other day, you saved a Ga-Matoran from a scorching death in the Lava Fields, and imprisoned some of my finer Matoran. This will not be tolerated, Kulagi. So, before we deliver you to your grave..." Gragu's smile widened considerably. "I would like you to introduce us to your friend, Sufina."

Kulagi's blood ran cold. He suddenly realized his mistake. He had thought that the Gang Matoran wanted something from him, like high-powered Kanoka discs. But they were really after Sufina. And Kulagi had led her right into their territory.

"I don't know who Sufina is..." Kulagi said defiantly, but his voice still squeaked. "Or where she is..."

"That's okay, I'm sure she's close by," Gragu said. He lifted his Kanoka launcher, and aimed it at Kulagi. All around him, more Gang Matoran appeared from behind the pillars, with their launchers loaded as well. "I'm sure we can find her. But your time is at an end, Kulagi." He turned to the Gang Matoran. "Dispose of him."

"I'll show you who's going to be disposed of," Kulagi snapped. He loaded in the Ko-Metru Kanoka they had shot through Triki's window. "I have something that I wanted to return to you."

Before the Gang Matoran could react, Kulagi fired his Kanoka right at Gragu. Gragu was about to shout one last command, when the disc was diverted and hit the support for one of the pillars. The Kanoka caused the pillar to shatter, sending a cloud of ice shards down upon the Gang Matoran. Kulagi used the distraction to run into the maze of pillars.

"GET HIM!" Gragu yelled. "Send that Kanoka Maker into the icy doom that awaits him!"

"I think you've got it all wrong, Gragu," Kulagi hissed, as he loaded in his Le-Metru freezing Kanoka. A Ta-Matoran appeared around one of the pillars, and sighted Kulagi. But before he could react, Kulagi fired his Kanoka, and turned the Matoran into an icy statue. "I'll be the one bringing in the icy doom."

Kulagi rushed between the pillars, hoping to find a way out. However, he way was blocked by the appearance of a Ko-Matoran, who had a Kanoka launcher armed and ready. "Take this, Onu-Matoran!" he cried, as he fired his Kanoka.

Kulagi spun around and raced the other direction, as the Kanoka flew towards him. Then Kulagi cut a sharp corner and raced around a pillar. He turned around, expecting to see the Kanoka shoot by. However, to his surprise, the Kanoka spun around the corner easily and rushed after him.

With dread, Kulagi recalled the special powers of a Ko-Metru Kanoka. They would dodge all obstacles until they struck their target. Kulagi would have out outrun this Kanoka until it ran out of power or until it caught him.

Distracted by the Kanoka behind him, Kulagi didn't realize he was running towards another Ko-Matoran until it was too late. The Gang Matoran fired his Kanoka, sending yet another Kanoka disc in Kulagi's direction. Kulagi dropped to the ground at just the right instant; the Kanoka behind him shot over his head, and the Kanoka in front of him also missed. Both Kanoka discs had been moving too fast to alter their direction in time. They changed course and shot towards Kulagi again, but he was already on the move.

Kulagi rushed between the pillars, with two Kanoka following his every move. He quickly spun around one pillar, and one of the Ko-Metru discs followed him. The other shot by, but Kulagi knew that it was still tracking him, and would appear sooner or later.

Suddenly, a Le-Matoran appeared in front of Kulagi, with his own Kanoka launcher loaded and ready. Kulagi was tired of running, and decided to go on the offensive again. He loaded in an Onu-Metru Regeneration Kanoka, and fired it at a broken pillar. Large chunks of ice started appearing, leaving minimal space to maneuver around. Kulagi leapt through an opening, and took off. The ice easily blocked the Le-Metru Kanoka, but the Ko-Metru Kanoka avoided all of the ice chunks and continued to follow Kulagi.

Kulagi ran forward, but he was tiring quickly. The Ko-Metru Kanoka closed in behind him. And then the second Ko-Metru Kanoka appeared, approaching Kulagi head-on. Kulagi came to a halt, as a reckless plan formed in his mind. He quickly loaded his Le-Metru Weakening Kanoka into his launcher.

The two Ko-Metru Kanoka shot towards Kulagi, and once they were close enough, Kulagi jumped up, and climbed up the icy pillar. The two Kanoka discs instantly changed direction to shoot upwards to strike Kulagi. But before they could change direction, they struck each other at the base of the pillar. This caused an enormous explosion, which tore apart the base of the pillar. The pillar started to fall over, with Kulagi still on top of it.

As the pillar's slope lessened, Kulagi ran along it, and almost ran the whole length of it. The pillar fell towards the wall, and Kulagi took his chance. He fired his Le-Metru Kanoka, which created a wide hole in the wall. As the pillar started to fall, Kulagi reached the end and leapt off it. He fell through the newly formed hole, and then landed on the icy ground outside. His Hover-Bike was in sight, and undamaged.

The Matoran inside the Knowledge Tower were running amok, as the pillar caused ice chunks to fall through the air. One of the Gang Matoran happened to glance out the door, and spotted Kulagi. "He's outside," he roared.

"Not so fast!" Kulagi roared. He picked up an ice chunk, and threw it through the door. As it was in the air, Kulagi loaded a Le-Metru Enlarging Kanoka, and fired it at the ice chunk. The ice chunk enlarged suddenly, and blocked the door. The Gang Matoran who had been rushing out to reach Kulagi slammed into the sudden barrier.

"Nobody takes me down," Kulagi snapped. Then he turned his gaze to the Knowledge Tower where Vakama and Sufina had been waiting, and his mood fell. Instead, there was a swarm of Gang Matoran on Hover-Bikes, led by Gragu. Vakama and Sufina were on the backs of two separate Hover-Bikes, and they were tied and gagged. The Gang Matoran had them now.

"Thanks for leading us to Sufina," Gragu shouted. "We no longer need your service now, Kanoka Maker. Please go away."

"Why you filthy little..." Kulagi roared. He fired an Onu-Metru Weakening Kanoka, but Gragu diverted it with a Po-Metru Kanoka. Kulagi jumped to the side as the Kanoka smashed into the ground.

"Keep the Kanoka Maker out of the air," Gragu commanded his Gang Matoran. "Now, let's get out of this Metru!"

Kulagi leapt on his Hover-Bike, and accelerated into the air. Kanoka discs flew down towards him, but most missed Kulagi completely. Gragu and his companions flew into the distance, taking Vakama and Sufina with them. The rest of the Gang Matoran turned towards Kulagi. Deciding that it was time for another chase, Kulagi turned and shot past the Knowledge Towers. The Gang Matoran followed, and fired Kanoka after Kanoka at him.

"You want to see how a professional uses a Kanoka?" Kulagi called back. "Here, let me show you!"

Kulagi fired a Shrinking Kanoka at the base of one of the weakened Knowledge Towers. The Kanoka shrunk the base from sight, and the rest of the Knowledge Tower toppled down. Kulagi avoided the fallen debris, but the Gang Matoran caught it head-on. Half of the riders behind Kulagi were knocked off their bikes.

One Gang Matoran got ahead of the others, and fired a Kanoka at Kulagi. Kulagi turned to see that it was another Ko-Metru Kanoka. Kulagi spun around, and the disc followed him. However, Kulagi flew towards the disc's owner, and fired an Enlarging disc at the Gang Matoran. The Kanoka struck the Hover-Bike, and the Gang Matoran suddenly couldn't reach the handlebars. Kulagi skimmed the top of the bike, and the Ko-Metru discs struck that bike instead as it followed Kulagi. The gang Matoran tumbled to the floor of Ko-Metru.

Kulagi was tiring of the chase. The Gang Matoran were closing in, but Kulagi suddenly swerved and shot straight up and over the top of a Knowledge Tower. The other Gang Matoran didn't react in time, and lost Kulagi. Kulagi, on the other hand, flew over the Knowledge Tower and intercepted the other company of Gang Matoran, led by Gragu. However, Kulagi only had eyes for the Hover-Bikes that Vakama and Sufina were tied to.

"I'm back!" Kulagi yelled. He fired a Kanoka towards the bike Sufina was tied to, but it was deflected by a Po-Metru Kanoka. However, Kulagi was already flying towards the bike Vakama was tied to. Kulagi swung his bike low, and knocked off the Gang Matoran driver. The Hover-Bike started to swerve out of control, but Kulagi reached over and ripped Vakama off the bike. Kulagi set Vakama on the bike behind him as the Gang Matoran's Hover-Bike fell to the ground.

"Now for Sufina," Kulagi growled, as he turned towards the other Gang Matoran. However, this time, he didn't see the Ko-Metru Kanoka until it was too late. The disc struck his engines, and froze them instantly. Kulagi's Hover-Bike suddenly dipped down, and spiraled towards the ground.

Kulagi grabbed Vakama, and leapt off the bike just before it crashed. They lay next to the wreckage, bruised and exhausted. Above them, the Gang Matoran roared with laughter, and flew away.

Kulagi got to his feet, and helped untie Vakama. Once he was un-gagged, Vakama started yelling.

"You stupid Matoran!" he shouted. "You let the Gang Matoran get us! They came behind us and caught us before we could react! And where were you? You were having a pleasant chat..."

"I know I messed up, mask-maker," Kulagi snapped. "But they have Sufina now, and we have to find a way to rescue her!"

"WE!?" Vakama roared. "No way! You got us into this mess, Kulagi. We could've gone to Turaga Dume, but you wouldn't let us! You got Sufina captured by the Gang Matoran. It's all your fault! You're the one to blame, Kanoka Maker!"

Kulagi wanted to yell back, but Vakama's words cut deep. It was true; he'd led Sufina to the Gang Matoran, and then they had captured her again. He could've ignored the message, but his self-confidence had caused him to run the risk. And now Sufina was captured again, and there was nothing he could do.

Vakama began to yell again, but then he slumped forward, unconscious. A Ko-Metru Kanoka had caught him, and knocked him out. Kulagi spun around, and reached for his Kanoka launcher. "Keerakh!"

The Ko-Metru Vahki were descending through the air, and they fired Kanoka towards the two Matoran. One fired a blast from its staff, and struck Kulagi. Then Kulagi suddenly lost all sense of time and space.

Kulagi understood that he had to fight the Vahki, but suddenly, it became more difficult to load his launcher. He fitted in a random Kanoka, and fired it at the Vahki, but he missed. The lead Keerakh landed beside him, and swung its staff hard.

Then all went black for Kulagi.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Kulagi awoke with his head next to a floor. Kulagi groaned, and noticed the floor was very well polished. He pushed himself, up, and groaned again. He was in the Turaga's Quarters.

"Kulagi, how nice of you to finally come and visit me," Dume said from his chair. "I have been wanting to speak with you for quite some time."

Kulagi instinctively reached for his Kanoka launcher, but it was not there. The Vahki had taken it away, as well as his pack of Kanoka. Instead, he glared at Dume and sneered, "What do you want?"

"I wanted to discuss your latest crime spree," Dume said, shuffling through stone tablets. "I believe you have evaded my Vahki for the past week in many different Metrus. You've caused significant damage to the archives, parts of Le-Metru, and many old Knowledge Towers. And that does not include the wild chase in Ta-Metru and Ga-Metru, although I am not yet certain that it was you."

"So what?" snapped Kulagi. "Yeah, that was me in the Lava Fields. But guess what. You sent your Vahki after me, and what was I supposed to do? Surrender? Yeah right. If you send Nuurahk, or Rorzakh, or Vorzakh after me, I'm going to run."

"The Rorzakh were originally there to keep an eye on you," Dume said. "Remember, Kulagi, only the guilty flee."

"But I'm not guilty of anything this time!" snapped Kulagi. "Okay, so I evaded the Nuurahk and got some good Ta-Metru protodermis, but it was all an accident."

"That would be hard to believe," Dume said, watching Kulagi closely. "Based off your past records."

"But it's true!" Kulagi insisted. "I saved Sufina from going over the Molten Protodermis Falls, and then I had to evade your Vahki in the Lava Fields. And once I got away from your Nuurahk, the Gang Matoran chased me, and I had to lose them in Ga-Metru. Then once I get back home, you suddenly have Rorzakh on my tail. I made it to Le-Metru, but then you let the Gang Matoran sell away my location without a second thought! And then they captured Sufina, and I couldn't follow her." A sudden weariness spread over Kulagi, and he fell to his knees. "I got her kidnapped again, and I couldn't even help her..."

"I see," Dume said. He reorganized the stone tablets, and put them to the side. "Well then, I believe you. You are cleared of all suspicion, Kulagi, and you are free to go."

Kulagi blinked. "What? You believe me?"

Dume nodded as Kulagi got to his feet. "Yes. It must've been one big misunderstanding."

Kulagi continued to look confused, so Dume explained. "I have already questioned your associate, Vakama, and he has explained the whole fiasco. I now understand your motives, Kulagi, and I see that you did not commit a crime. You are to remain a free Matoran. Yet I hope you have learned a lesson from all this, Kanoka Maker. You need to trust in me. Otherwise, we shall never be at peace."

Kulagi blinked again, as the full impact of Dume's words hit him. "I'm... free? And Huaju and Triki?"

"The Po-Matoran and Le-Matoran are to be freed," Dume said with a nod. "Because you are not a criminal, they are not guilty of aiding a criminal. They shall be freed in due time." He stopped, and then added, "Although the Le-Matoran may need a lecture about safety when making Kanohi..."

"So, that's it?" Kulagi said. "You don't need me for anything."

Dume shook his head. "No, there is one last task I need you to complete, Kanoka Maker. As you are undoubtedly aware of, the Ga-Matoran chemist, Sufina, has been recaptured by the Gang Matoran. As a Turaga, I cannot allow this."

"This particular clan of Gang Matoran are very ferocious. They have a reputation for their use of Kanoka to break the law. The Keerakh captured a few in Ko-Metru, but it is not enough. The Gang Matoran are very difficult to follow, and deadly when found. Whenever the Vahki try to pacify them, they are shot down with Kanoka, and then the Gang Matoran vanish again."

Kulagi couldn't help but laugh. "These Gang Matoran are known for their Kanoka skills? They have weak discs, bad aim, and little respect for the whole art of Kanoka. They're amateurs!"

Dume smiled. "This is why I need you, Kulagi. You are one of the most experienced Kanoka Makers on this island, and I will need your skill to go against these Kanoka Makers, and free Sufina. I need you to go on this rescue mission, Kulagi. Do you accept?"

Kulagi hesitated. "I do," he finally said. "But... what are these Gang Matoran after? Why do they want Sufina?"

"Of that, I can only speculate," Dume said. "The Vahki have been investigating these Gang Matoran for months, since the disappearance of the Ga-Matoran chemist. I have gathered all the information off the Vahki network, and I have formed my hypothesis. I believe the Gang Matoran are interested in the one thing that will give them ultimate powers: Energized Protodermis."

Kulagi nodded. "Yes. The Gang Matoran were interested in that stuff. And wasn't Sufina on the team that investigated Energized Protodermis?"

Dume nodded. "Indeed, she was. Sufina was on the team that was trying to create artificial Energized Protodermis. Energized Protodermis is a very unique substance. It has the ability to change someone, if it is one's destiny. However, if it is not one's destiny, the Energized Protodermis can destroy one as well. This protodermis also contains immense energies, and could power many items on this island. Artificial Energized Protodermis could be used all over Metru-Nui as a very efficient power source. Also, artificial Energized Protodermis could also change one, whether if it is one's destiny or not. This topic was controversial, and it was decided years ago that we would not create Energized Protodermis to change ourselves."

"However, the Gang Matoran weren't part of this decision. Over the past months, the Bordakh have reported many lab break-ins. I suspect that the Gang Matoran were stealing any and all information relating to Energized Protodermis. Sufina, being the leading chemist in the recreation of Energized Protodermis, was a likely candidate for abduction. Her team was almost at a breakthrough, but her absence has halted the investigation."

"Sufina is a very intelligent Matoran, but she does not posses exceptional bravery. When she was first kidnapped, she likely held out for quite some time. This obviously led to much frustration amongst the Gang Matoran. When placing her on the Fire River, they may have simply been disposing of her. However, it is possible that they wished to frighten her into submission. They may have been prepared to rescue her once she went over the Molten Protodermis Falls, and force the information out of her while she was in shock. However, you seemed to have complicated matters for them, Kulagi, when you rescued her. They were not expecting a Good Samaritan amongst the Ta-Matoran who'd fly in to rescue an unknown Matoran."

"However, whether they wanted her or not back then, they have her again today. The Gang Matoran are likely torturing her right now, and trying to force out any information she may have. Sufina will try to hold out, but there is only so much a Matoran can handle before they crack. I fear for her safety, and that is why I need to send you in to rescue her, Kulagi."

"But if she gives in," Kulagi pressed. "Then what?"

Dume bowed his head. "Then they will make artificial Energized Protodermis. Right now, as we speak, they could be getting the information out of Sufina. Right now, they could be preparing the Energized Protodermis. And once they are done, they will immerse themselves in it. And when they come out... who can tell what powers they will possess."

Kulagi nodded. He knew who would be the first to soak in the Energized Protodermis, if any was created. Gragu, the leader of the Gang Matoran, would be the first to test the solution. He would be the first to gain the powers and mutation that would come from it.

"My Vahki have located a possible hideout for the Gang Matoran," Dume reported. "However, I cannot simply send my Vahki in. The Gang Matoran are known for their ability to shoot down Vahki, and to send Bordakh in will only warn them of trouble. Of course, because we have so many Vahki, we cannot arm them all with high-powered Kanoka. Any Bordakh I send in would be taken out. And if I left this to the Vahki, they wouldn't proceed with the caution needed for a rescue mission." Dume paused, and smiled. "The Vahki are an efficient crime fighting force. However, when the situations get more complicated, I need something more than a robotic enforcer."

Kulagi nodded in agreement, and Dume continued. "The headquarters for the Gang Matoran is located on the border between Ga-Metru and Po-Metru. They have occupied an abandoned laboratory, one that Sufina used to work in. The laboratory has been shut down ever since a certain criminal broke in and trashed the place."

Kulagi narrowed his eyes. "Just so you know, your Bordakh did most of the trashing. I just accidentally fell through the skylight, and then your Vahki went on a rampage to get me."

Dume shook his head. "Kulagi, your ambitions have led you on a criminal rampage. You desire high powered Kanoka discs, and this leads you to find off limit protodermis. In your quest to find such protodermis, you have broken the law many times. However, it cannot be denied that you make powerful Kanoka. Your discs are some of the most powerful Kanoka on the island, Kulagi. And today, we need those Kanoka, and one who can use them. These Gang Matoran think that they have the power to take down anyone, be them Matoran or Vahki. But once you pit your Kanoka skills against theirs, you will come out victorious, Kulagi. Now you shall prove your worth as a Kanoka Maker. You shall free Sufina, and take down the Gang Matoran. Because if you can't do it, Kulagi, then nobody can."

"Okay," Kulagi said. "But how can I fight these Gang Matoran if I don't have any Kanoka? Your Keerakh have taken my launcher, I noticed."

Dume snapped his fingers, and the door behind Kulagi opened. A Keerakh walked in, with Kulagi's pack and launcher in its jaws. It dropped them next to Kulagi, and turned to leave.

Kulagi reached into his pack, and found all of his Onu-Metru and Le-Metru Kanoka inside. "Thanks," he said to the retreating Vahki. He turned back to Dume. "Anyway, how will I get there? In case your Vahki didn't tell you, my Hover-Bike is trashed."

"You shall get a new one in due time," Dume responded. "You will take a chute to Ga-Metru, and then a squad of Bordakh will escort you to the laboratory. They will leave you within a few blocks of the building, as not to arouse Gang Matoran suspicion. Then it is up to you to find a way in and a way to free Sufina. You shall also need more Kanoka discs than that to take on the full might of the Gang Matoran. You shall receive some protodermis from Ko-Metru and Po-Metru, and then you shall craft some more discs for your adventure."

"What kind of protodermis?" Kulagi asked.

"Pure protodermis," Dume answered, and he chuckled as Kulagi's face lit up. "Yes, Kulagi, this is normally off-limit protodermis. However, this time, you have my permission to use it."

"Great," Kulagi said. "So I just need to make some good Kanoka, and then take on these Gang Matoran on my own. Sounds great."

"You will not embark on this mission alone," Dume said. "You shall have an accomplice."

"Really? Who?"

The door opened behind Kulagi, and he spun around to see Vakama. "You!" he cried.

"Me," Vakama confirmed.

"You're making Vakama go with me?" Kulagi asked Dume.

Dume turned his attention from Kulagi to another stone tablet. "I am not making Vakama go. He volunteered."

Kulagi spun around to face Vakama. "You volunteered? You, who's been against me the whole time? You've been telling me to turn myself into Dume this whole time!"

"And it turns out that I was right," Vakama shot back. "If you would've just come and confessed to the Turaga, we wouldn't be in this situation! But... well, you've helped me out a lot. You helped me avoid the Rorzakh, you distracted the Vorzakh, and you saved me from the Gang Matoran. We've had our differences, but you still went out of your way to help me out. And I guess I can't let you go into this danger without offering to help."

"But you hate risking anything," Kulagi said.

Vakama shrugged. "I hated running from the Vahki. Since I'm on the right side of the law this time, I'll be justified."

"Wow," Kulagi said. "Thanks, Vakama. For a mask-maker, you're not that bad after all."

"And you're okay as well, Kanoka Maker," Vakama said. "Even if you are reckless and insane."

"Then it is settled," Dume said, getting to his feet. He handed two bags to Kulagi. "This is the protodermis you will need to craft your Kanoka, Kulagi. I will give you a couple of hours to carve out some Kanoka, and then I will give you a few more to rest. After that, I will send you to Ga-Metru, and the two of you can embark on your mission. Use your time well, Kanoka Maker."

"I will," Kulagi said. He smiled, despite the enormous task that lay before him. "I will."


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Night hung over Ga-Metru. In a few hours, it would be twilight. Yet the stars still hung in the sky over the laboratory, and the darkness obscured the two Matoran hiding in an adjacent building.

"There it is," Vakama whispered. "The laboratory. The Gang Matoran's headquarters."

"Where Sufina's being held," Kulagi added.

Vakama observed the situation. "There are a half dozen Gang Matoran guarding the entrances. I don't see how we'll be able to sneak in without causing an uproar."

"We'll have to sneak in another way," Kulagi said. "And the only way to get into this place undetected is to come in from above."

Vakama gave a sideways glance at Kulagi. "You're still using experiences from your criminal past to help you make decisions?"

Kulagi rolled his eyes. "Hey, I was running from Vahki at the time. Then I stepped over one of the skylights, and it shattered. The Vahki were the ones who made a mess of things. Now stop bringing up that incident!"

Kulagi and Vakama had just arrived in this section of Ga-Metru, with Po-Metru visible over the canal. The Bordakh Vahki had escorted them until they were within sight of the building, and then had left them behind. Kulagi carried with him a pack full of powerful Kanoka from four different Metrus. Vakama had his disc launcher as well, along with a couple of powerful Kanoka. They were ready to execute their mission.

"How will we break in through a skylight?" Vakama asked, as he and Kulagi climbed up onto the roof of the laboratory. "Wouldn't that just attract the attention of the Gang Matoran?"

"If we shatter the glass," Kulagi responded. "But I have a useful Kanoka that'll do the trick."

"What kind? A Shrinking disc?"

"Nope. You'll see. Now help me find a skylight that we can enter through."

The two Matoran searched for a skylight that would lead them into an abandoned room. Vakama finally found one, and Kulagi leaned over it and loaded his launcher.

"I have a level seven Onu-Metru Reconstruct at Random Kanoka," Kulagi said. "I'll just fire it into the skylight, and turn it into something else."

"That 'something else' may not help us," Vakama pointed out.

Kulagi shrugged. "Then I'll keep firing until it turns into something useful." With that, he lifted his launcher and fired. The Kanoka struck the glass, and reconstructed it.

Vakama leaned over the new skylight. "Ah, solid silver protodermis. Even harder to break through."

Kulagi pushed Vakama aside. "I said I would keep trying until something good came up." He fired again, and the protodermis turned into mesh wire. Kulagi grinned.

"See, now we can easily tear through this!" Kulagi ripped a hole in the mesh, and dropped down into the abandoned room. "Hurry and jump in, before it turns back into glass."

Vakama dropped into the abandoned room, as Kulagi looked around. The room appeared to be a rundown classroom. Desks were scattered and broken, and remains of test tubes were scattered across the floor. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust.

"I can see why they left this place," Vakama said, observing a broken desk. "And I can see why the Gang Matoran decided to move in. This place is filthy."

"Sufina's not in here," Kulagi said. "We'll have to risk going into the hallway. There's no other way to navigate through this building."

Kulagi and Vakama crept into the hallway, which was also run down. However, there were clear signs of recent use. A trail of Matoran footprints was clearly visible in the dust, and led down the hallway.

Kulagi glanced at Vakama. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking? These footprints could lead us right to Sufina."

"And the Gang Matoran as well," Vakama muttered. "But we don't have any better options."

They followed the footprints down the hall. They crept along quietly, listening for the sound of approaching Gang Matoran. After navigating through the windy hallway, they found a room that the footsteps led into.

Vakama leaned against the door, and listened. "I don't think anybody's inside," he said. "If they are, they're being very quiet."

"Well, we'll take our chances," Kulagi said, loading in a Po-Metru Weakening disc. "Let's go check this place out."

Vakama opened the door, and they stepped into an abandoned laboratory. Against the far wall, there were huge glass test tubes, used for complicated protodermis experiments back when the Ga-Matoran chemists used the lab. Strewn across the floor was test equipment and paperwork of long forgotten tests. However, in the center of the room was a completely intact tables, and it was covered with Kanoka discs.

"I think we just found their armory," Vakama whispered as he shut the door behind him. "Look at all these discs. It's no wonder that they can shoot the Vahki down. They have access to so many discs!"

Kulagi picked up a Po-Metru disc, but then threw it aside in disgust. "Power level one? Please! All these discs have low power levels, and are completely worthless. How did these Matoran get their reputation with Kanoka? It's an embarrassment to those of us who are real professionals!"

"Remember, not all Matoran have your level of skill when it comes to Kanoka," Vakama said dryly. "Anyway, the Gang Matoran's main advisory is the Vahki. And the Vahki aren't known to use Kanoka discs exceptionally well."

Kulagi shrugged, as he pushed the Kanoka off the table. "Well, these won't help us out at all, so we don't need them. But we could get rid of them. Gang Matoran without Kanoka are even less of a threat."

Vakama nodded in agreement, and picked up a handful of Kanoka. "We can shove these into those test tubes. They're too deep for any Matoran to reach into, and the mouth's too small for a Matoran to fit into. They'll be out of reach..."

"And then we need to go and find where Sufina really is..." Kulagi started.

Suddenly, the door flew opened, and a Po-Matoran walked into the room. He froze at the sight of Kulagi and Vakama, but took too much time to turn and flee. Before he could take a step back out into the hallway, Kulagi struck him down with a Weakening disc.

Vakama rushed forward and slammed the door shut. "That was close! We're lucky he didn't escape!"

"We may be lucky that he found us," Kulagi said with a grin, as he noticed that the Matoran was still conscious. "We have a hostage now!"

Kulagi picked up the Gang Matoran, and slammed him into the wall. "Now listen closely, Po-Matoran. We want to know where Sufina is."

"I don't know," the Gang Matoran hissed. "Who are you?"

"We're special agents sent by the Turaga to rescue the Ga-Matoran chemist," Kulagi said fiercely. Despite himself, he liked the sound of the title. "Now where is she?"

The Gang Matoran laughed, but it sounded like a few grunts. The Kanoka hadn't completely knocked him out, but it had taken away all his energy, and he was very weak. But he still managed to say, "Even if I did know where she was... I wouldn't tell you."

"I think you will," Vakama said. "We just need to ask you in the right way." He picked up a disc labeled 312, and fired it. The Kanoka struck the Matoran in the face, and caused huge purple boils to erupt all over his mask. In addition to that, two stubby horns sprouted out of the top of his head.

"You'll tell us where Sufina is," Vakama said sharply. "Or I'll use a more powerful Reconstruct at Random disc on you."

The Gang Matoran hesitated, but then the purple boils started to explode. Finally, he spoke. "On the other side of the building. There's a big lab, the biggest of them all. They have the Ga-Matoran there. But you can't get her... they've got the place guarded."

"I don't think we're afraid of a few guards," Kulagi said. "We made it this far in without causing a commotion, and I bet we can make it to Sufina."

The Gang Matoran grunted. "Yeah right. And what are you going to do with me? Once you're gone, I'll find a way to get attention. And then all the Gang Matoran will be all over you."

"Then we'll have to find a way for you to not get attention," Kulagi said. "I know. We'll throw you in one of those test tubes! You won't get out, and you're voice will be muffled."

The Gang Matoran sneered. "And how can you fit me in there. The opening's too small!"

"I'll find a way," Kulagi said. He loaded in his Shrinking Kanoka, and fired. The Gang Matoran shrunk down to the size of a frost leech, and he could now easily fit into the test tubes. Once he returned to his original size, he would still fit inside the test tube, but he wouldn't be able to escape.

Kulagi and Vakama disposed of the Gang Matoran and the low powered Kanoka discs, and then returned to the hallway. They wove through the building, searching for the laboratory the Gang Matoran had mentioned. When they finally found it, they saw five Gang Matoran guarding the door. Each of the Gang Matoran had a Kanoka in hand.

"Five on two," Kulagi mumbled. "Even I don't like those odds. We have the element of surprise, but we can't take down five Matoran without causing an uproar. I don't know what we'll do here."

"What is a couple of the Gang Matoran simply... left?" Vakama asked.

Kulagi shrugged. "That would be helpful, but what are the odds they'll leave?"

"I'll distract them," Vakama said. "I'll lead them away, and give you a chance to get Sufina and escape."

Kulagi turned to Vakama, stunned. "You're offering to help me? You're going to risk yourself, and you don't care?"

Vakama shrugged. "One thing I admire about you, Kulagi, is that you are always helping out Matoran. You saved Sufina on the Fire River without a thought of your own safety. You distracted the Vorzakh so that Sufina and I could escape. And then you managed to rescue me from the Gang Matoran in Ko-Metru. You went out of your way to help those in need. That's what I admire about you, Kanoka Maker. Maybe I can learn something from that. But if you need some help, I'll be willing to run the risk."

"Gosh, thanks, Vakama," said Kulagi. "It's a good plan. Good luck, mask-maker."

"You too," Vakama said with a nod, and he rushed into position.

The Gang Matoran guards were very surprised when a Kanoka struck the floor in front of them, causing dust to fall from the ceiling. They glared down the hall to see Vakama, with his launcher out and a grin spread across his mask.

"Hey, come and get me, you Rahi-bones!" Vakama yelled. Four of the Gang Matoran growled, and charged forward. Vakama quickly sprinted down the hall, and the Gang Matoran disappeared from sight.

"Those dummies," the last Gang Matoran mumbled. "They abandoned their posts at the first sign of trouble. Boss won't be happy about this at all. Maybe I'll get a promotion for staying at my post. Then I'll show them..."

The Matoran vanished, and found himself in one of the canals outside the laboratory. Kulagi rushed towards the door, after having fired a Teleportation Kanoka to get rid of the last guard. Taking a deep breath, Kulagi opened the door and rushed inside.

The door slammed shut, and Kulagi found himself in a very dimly lit room. However, his eyes adjusted, and he saw the Matoran lying before him. She was bound and gagged, and lay helpless on the floor. It was Sufina.

"Sufina!" Kulagi said, and his voice seemed unnaturally loud in the room. As he took a step further, he saw Sufina's eyes in the dim light. They were full of fear.

Kulagi immediately felt a sense of foreboding, and started to reach for his launcher. Yet he wasn't fast enough to avoid the net. The net came from the ceiling, and pinned Kulagi to the ground. As soon as Kulagi was trapped, the lights came on, and Kulagi could see the entire room, and who was really in the room.

It was indeed a very large lab. Counters lined the walls, and there was a pool of a silvery liquid in the center. However, spread out between the lab equipment were many Gang Matoran. Gragu stood in the center, close to Sufina.

Gragu was the first to start laughing, and then the other Gang Matoran joined him. Finally, Gragu grinned wickedly and said, "Kulagi, I'm so glad you could join us today."

"You laid a trap out for me, you filthy little..." Kulagi shouted desperately, but Gragu just laughed.

"Yes I did, and see how well it worked," Gragu said gleefully. "And you've arrived just in time to see me take a... dip." He gestured to the silver liquid, and his grin widened.

Dread filled Kulagi's soul. He looked Sufina in the eyes. "You didn't... he doesn't know..."

Sufina sadly nodded, and Gragu laughed louder. "After a while, she caved in," Gragu explained. "But it was inevitable. Everybody does what I say. Or else they perish."

Kulagi glowed, and anger grew within him. However, he was trapped under a net. There was nothing he could do to stop Gragu. But he could still speak.

"Why do you want to change?" Kulagi shot at the leader of the Gang Matoran. "Why would you want to expose yourself to energized protodermis? It'll turn you into a freak! Why would you want to be more than a Matoran?"

Gragu shrugged. "As a Matoran, I can only do so much. But once I've encountered energized protodermis... once I've changed... then I'll have the power. I'll be able to do what no Matoran can do. I'll be the mightiest, and all will bow before me."

"Nobody will listen to you," Kulagi shouted. "Not while the Matoran stand against you. They have Kanoka and... and Vahki and other weapons... and..."

"And I will still conquer them!" Gragu finished. "As much as I would like to argue with you, Kanoka Maker, I have more important tasks." He turned to the Gang Matoran. "Let today be a day that'll live on in Gang Matoran history. Today, I will gain powers that will put the Gang Matoran on top, once and for all."

The Gang Matoran cheered, and Gragu soaked it all up. Then, without glancing back at the trapped chemist or Kanoka Maker, Gragu stepped towards the pool of energized protodermis. Sufina closed her eyes and whimpered, but Kulagi focused intensely on Gragu.

Gragu jumped into the center of the pool, and then slid beneath the surface. Not a ripple broke the surface, but steam started to rise. Suddenly, the pool starter to swirl, and a dense mist formed around the edges of the pool. Kulagi help his breath, and hoped. Maybe something had gone wrong. Maybe Sufina's formula hadn't worked. Maybe Gragu had just destroyed himself. Maybe it would all end...

The fog cleared, and the liquid settled again. And then something arose from the liquid. And Kulagi knew that Gragu had transformed.

This new figure was nearly twice as tall as a Matoran, and had a body ripping with muscles. It had clawed feet, and its fingers were sharp enough to stab through solid protodermis. The head resembled Gragu's Matatu, but it was now gray and rusted. Giant horns penetrated the scull, and twin pinchers extended out from the mouth. Two orange eyes extended out of the sides of the mask, and they filled Kulagi with terror. Gragu had changed into a new monstrosity, and he now had the power he had been dreaming of.

"It worked!" he said. His voice was lower and rougher, and seemed to vibrate with power. "I have transformed!"

The Gang Matoran cheered. Kulagi covered his ears, but he could not block out the sound of Gragu's voice.

"I was once Gragu, the leader of the Gang Matoran," he roared. "But no more. Now I am Gragu Nuva, the bane of Turaga Dume and his Vahki."

"This city is MINE!"


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Gragu roared, the Gang Matoran cheered, and Kulagi cowed. Kulagi realized that this was exactly what Turaga Dume had wanted to prevent. And although he still did not have a great respect for the Turaga, Kulagi realized that he had failed Dume. Gragu had transformed.

"My first act as Gragu Nuva," Gragu announced. "Is to get rid of the annoying Kanoka Maker, Kulagi. It shall be a fitting end for such a bother to us all."

Gragu ripped the net off Kulagi, but Kulagi remained on his knees. Fear kept him frozen, and he made no move to protect himself. He closed his eyes, and waited for the end.

However, Gragu was suddenly distracted. The roof shattered, and a patrol of Bordakh Vahki charged in. They were undoubtedly attracted by the ruckus Gragu created in his triumph. Without hesitation, they attacked.

The Gang Matoran took action as well. They grabbed their launchers and began to fire Kanoka. Kulagi saw that their reputation preceded them; they easily shot down the Vahki. However, the Gang Matoran didn't even need their Kanoka; they had Gragu.

Many Vahki charged Gragu, trying to weaken him with their Kanoka and Stun Staffs. However, none of their powers seemed to harm Gragu at out. He lashed out and grabbed the nearest Vahki, and tore it to shreds. Soon, Gragu had dissembled all the Bordakh.

However, Kulagi had regained his courage. Gragu could stand up to the Vahki, but could he stand up to Kulagi? Kulagi had some of the most powerful Kanoka discs on the island. If he couldn't take on Gragu, then who could?

Kulagi loaded a code 567 Kanoka into his launcher, as Gragu turned to face him again. "You want a fight? I'll give you one." Kulagi fired his Kanoka, but Gragu grabbed it in mid air and crushed it between his fingers.

Unfazed by this setback, Kulagi fired a code 626 Kanoka, but Gragu simply knocked it aside. Kulagi reloaded, and fired a code 437 disc. Gragu tried to knock it aside, but the Ko-Metru Kanoka dodged his attacks and struck him in the head. Kulagi thought that he had caused some damage this time, but Gragu simply grinned.

"Is that the best you've got, Kanoka Maker?" he taunted. Apparently, Gragu's transformation had changed him in ways other than appearance.

Kulagi's voice was small. "Maybe."

"My turn," Gragu shouted. He bent over, and ripped the head off of a Bordakh body. He fitted a Kanoka into the Vahki jaws, and fired it at Kulagi with startling speed. Kulagi countered the attack by firing a code 318 Kanoka. The Po-Metru Kanoka diverted Gragu's Kanoka, and struck him in the chest. But the Reconstruct at Random powers had no effect on the mutated Matoran.

Gragu laughed as Kulagi stepped back. "You're quite fun, Kanoka Maker. I've changed my mind. I'll save you for later." Gragu lifted his hand, and pointed it towards the remains of the ceiling. Then he fired acid out of his palms. The acid struck the ceiling, and debris rained down upon Kulagi. Kulagi tried to get away, but a large beam struck him and pinned him to the ground. He was trapped again.

"I feel like destroying something now," Kulagi heard Gragu announce. "Let's go wreck havoc in Po-Metru!" He was greeted with more cheers from the Gang Matoran.

Gragu smashed through the wall, and crossed the canal and entered Po-Metru. Most of the Gang Matoran followed him atop their Hover-Bikes, but a few remained to keep an eye on Kulagi and Sufina, who were both trapped.

Kulagi struggled to free himself, but it was useless. He couldn't reach his Kanoka launcher, so he couldn't use any of his discs. And his strength was not enough to move the heavy metal that held him down. All he could do was lie on the ground with the realization that he had lost to Gragu.

Suddenly, Kulagi heard the remaining Gang Matoran shout, and run about. Kulagi tried to see what had disturbed them, but the beam blocked his view. But then the beam vanished, and Kulagi sat up.

Vakama knelt down next to Kulagi. "Don't worry, I teleported the beam out of here. You okay?"

"Yes," Kulagi said. "But... how'd you get here?"

"Dume sent reinforcements," Vakama said simply. Kulagi spun around, and gasped at the scene he saw. Fighting the Gang Matoran were none other than his two friends, Huaju and Triki.

Triki jumped back and forth as a Gang Matoran fired Kanoka after Kanoka at him. "Ha, you can't hit broadside of Kikanalo Barn! Are Kikanalo Barns easy to hit? I don't know, I should ask one sometime..."

Triki ducked as a disc shot past his head, and then he fired his own. The disc missed the targeted Matoran, but it ricocheted off the wall and struck one of the Gang Matoran fighting Huaju.

Huaju fired one of his Po-Metru Kanoka, and diverted the discs that flew towards him. As the Gang Matoran hastily reloaded, Huaju fired a direct shot, and froze the Matoran in a block of ice. A second Gang Matoran tried to sneak up behind Huaju, but he was ready. He spun around and fired his Kanoka before the Matoran had even loaded his launcher.

Vakama lifted his launcher, and fired his Teleportation disc at the last Gang Matoran who was challenging Triki. In a flash of light, the Matoran vanished, and the Gang Matoran had been defeated.

"Huaju... Triki..." Kulagi said. "Where'd you guys come from?"

"Oh, Dume had us arrested, but then he released us, and told us about your mission," Huaju explained.

Vakama nudged Kulagi. "Our primary mission was to rescue Sufina, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Kulagi said, blushing. He rushed over and untied Sufina. She smiled gratefully once she was able to get the gag out of her mouth. "Thank you. Thank you all!"

"It wasn't a problem," Kulagi said. "Sorry we couldn't get here earlier."

Sufina sniffled, and looked to the ground. "Thanks, but I've failed you. I... I told Gragu how to make the energized protodermis. I tried to hold out... but he said he had you captured, and that he'd kill you if I didn't cooperate. I caved in, and once he had the protodermis, he tied me up and used me as bait. Just in case you were on a rescue mission."

"It's okay," Vakama said. "I'm amazed you held out this long. It can't be easy to be kidnapped by Gang Matoran."

"Anyway, it's my fault," Kulagi said slowly. "I'm the one who brought you to Ko-Metru, and led you right to the Gang Matoran. They laid out the trap for me, and I walked into it. I'm sorry, Sufina. It's my fault that you were recaptured."

Sufina suddenly laughed, which caught Kulagi off guard. "Are you kidding? The Gang Matoran wanted me, and they used you to get to me. Even if you had avoided Ko-Metru, they would've found a way to get me. Kulagi, you didn't get me in trouble, you got me out of trouble." She paused. "I was lucky when you rescued me from the Fire River. Because since then, you've continued to help me out, even when I was kidnapped by the roughest Matoran on the island. I should be saying sorry, for causing you so much trouble." She smiled at Kulagi, who returned the smile as well.

"I'm sorry you fun-stay ended at my house," Triki interjected suddenly. "The Vahki were much-rude. They barged in and totally trashed the place!"

"I'm sure you won't notice the difference when you get back," Vakama joked. "Except for the big hole in the wall..."

Kulagi turned to Huaju. "Now what about you? What have you been up to? How'd you get arrested?"

"It turns out that I was being stalked by a Zadahk," Huaju said. "The Vahki took me, and Dume sentenced me to the Coliseum prison for aiding a criminal." Huaju winked at Kulagi. "So I got to see what the Coliseum prison is like first hand. It really wasn't that bad. I got fed well, and the Vahki treated me nicely as long as I behaved. Then after a few days, they threw him in with me." Huaju pointed to Triki.

Triki nodded. "Vorzakh dragged me to Dume. Dume yelled something, then shove me in prison. Didn't give me cake that I wanted. Bad service."

"Triki and I had some valuable time to catch up," Huaju said. "You know, ever since he started making masks, he's calmed down considerably."

"Yeah, I know. Isn't it amazing?" Kulagi responded.

"I have Triki mask!" Triki said suddenly. "The Vorzakh took it from me. Dume said something about 'dangerous' and 'confiscated' when he let us go, but I took it when he not-look."

"Anyway, when Dume realized you weren't a criminal, then neither was I," Huaju said. "Dume released Triki and me, and filled us in on your mission. We decided to go and help you out. So I took a quick detour to my place, and loaded up on some Kanoka."

"Huaju's house is much cluttered," Triki added. "Took much long time to locate good Kanoka."

"Then we rushed over here," Huaju continued. "And we got here just in the nick of time. Vakama was planning an assault on the remaining Gang Matoran all on his own. We decided that we'd help him out."

Vakama nodded. "Thanks, you two. I couldn't have done it without you."

Huaju shrugged. "No problem, mask-maker."

"But that still leaves us with one major problem," Kulagi said. He pointed to the large hole in the wall. "Gragu did bathe in energized protodermis, and he's grown powerful. We can't let him rampage across the Metru."

"Take him down with some Kanoka," Triki suggested. "Or you could dance the Pokka." He started humming softly to himself.

Kulagi shook his head. "I already tried that. My Kanoka are the some of the most powerful discs on the island, and they did nothing to Gragu. It was like he was immune to their powers or something."

"Then you need more powerful ones," Triki said. "Or train Kavinika to run. Do Kavinika know how to run? I should ask one."

Kulagi rolled his eyes. "My Kanoka are the most powerful. The only discs more powerful than mine would be power level nine, and nobody has ever made those before. How am I supposed to start when I don't even know where to begin?"

The Matoran were silent for a while, as they pondered the situation. The only sound was Triki's random humming, and the wind blowing through the wreckage of the laboratory.

Finally, Huaju broke the silence. "I can't help you make any discs, Kulagi, but I do have something to give you." He pulled out an Onu-Metru Kanoka from his pack and tossed it to Kulagi. "Turaga Dume gave this to me, and told me to pass it on to you."

Kulagi stared at the disc. "This is my first Kanoka," he said. "A level eight Onu-Metru Enlarging Kanoka. But why did Dume have it, and why did he send it to me?"

Huaju shrugged. "I don't know, he didn't really explain. But anyway, I have to go." He gestured towards the hole Gragu had made, where the edge of Po-Metru could be seen in the distance. "I need to warn a few of my fellow traders about Gragu's rampage. I parked the Hover-Bikes on the roof, so I'll go get mine and fly to the nearest assembler's village,"

"We understand, Huaju," Vakama said with a nod. "Fly safely."

Huaju departed, but Kulagi continued to focus on his first Kanoka. "I wonder if this one can defeat Gragu," he said.

Vakama shook his head. "Nope. It would probably just make him larger. Much larger."

Kulagi sighed, and set the Kanoka aside. "Then I don't get it? What Kanoka can defeat that abomination? How would I make it? What protodermis would I use? Where can I find the protodermis needed to craft the ultimate Kanoka?"

Sufina perked up suddenly. "Right here!"

Kulagi turned to her. "Come again?"

"We've had the answer right under our masks the whole time," Sufina said. "Where do we find the protodermis needed for the Kanoka needed to destroy Gragu? Gragu used energized protodermis to enhance himself." She gestured to the pool Gragu had crawled out of. "We can use that protodermis to make a Kanoka disc!"

Triki walked over to observe the energized protodermis. "Protodermis is a liquid," he commented. "Needs to be a solid, or it'll never set into a Kanoka. Maybe it tastes good to drink..."

Vakama grabbed Triki's arm and dragged him away from the pool. "That would be a very bad idea, friend."

Kulagi grabbed his Kanoka. "Okay, it makes sense now. I can use my disc to help me create the ultimate Kanoka." Kulagi looked at his friends, and grinned. "Okay, let's get started. First of all, I'll need a forge to work on."

"We have a spare room down the hallway," Sufina said. "We used to make Kanoka there when this laboratory was still functioning. Although it's old, it probably still works."

Kulagi nodded. "Okay, Sufina, I need you to collect some of the energized protodermis for me to use. Vakama, I'm going to need some protection while making this disc. Look through the labs and see if you can find anything useful. Triki, come and help me power up that forge. And if you happen to find a Kanoka recorder, that'll be great."

Kulagi and Triki rushed down the hallway, and found the room with the forge. Together, they connected it to a power source and started it up. Vakama arrived with some protective gloves for Kulagi to use while handling the energized protodermis, along with some eye protection. Sufina arrived next, with a container full of energized protodermis.

"Now what?" she asked as Kulagi took it from her.

Kulagi strapped on his eye protection. "Watch and learn."

First, Kulagi set down his own Kanoka on the forge, and melted it back down into a liquid form. Then he slowly added the energized protodermis, using many of his special techniques to stir it in. After a half-hour of molding, Kulagi let the disc solidify. He pushed himself back from the forge, pleased with himself.

When the Kanoka was solid, Kulagi placed the Kanoka recorder that Triki had found on it. Sufina, Vakama, and Triki waited in anticipation for Kulagi to read the results.

"Well, it's an Enlarging disc," Kulagi announced. "That's expected, because it was mixed together with my old Enlarging disc. And it is a Ga-Metru disc... because the energized protodermis is from Ga-Metru. And..." Kulagi gasped. "It has a power level of nine!"

Sufina looked bewildered. "I though the highest power level was eight."

"Well, there is no limit in theory," Kulagi said. "But no Matoran has ever created a Kanoka with a higher power level than eight. But it appears that I just exceeded that limit." He smiled to himself. "I just created a Great Kanoka!"

"If that doesn't have enough power to take down Gragu, then I don't know what does," Vakama said.

Kulagi set the Kanoka back on the forge, and added the finishing touches, including the code. Triki looked over Kulagi's shoulder in amazement. "Wow, I've never seen a Kanoka that powerful before. I wonder what kind of mask a level nine Kanoka would create."

"It would be very powerful, I'm sure," Vakama said.

Kulagi finished, and picked up the disc. "I'm done. I have the disc that can take down Gragu. But what now? Do we wait for Gragu to return?"

"Fly out and quick greet him on your Hover-Bike," Triki said.

Kulagi smiled weakly. "I can't do that, Triki. I crashed my bike in Ko-Metru, and I haven't had it repaired yet."

"But Dume sent it with us," Triki said, pointing over his shoulder. "It's all fixed up and cool looking."

Kulagi shot a look at Triki. "What! When were you planning to tell this to me?"

Triki thought long and hard about this question. "Now," he replied.

Kulagi grabbed his pack and Kanoka launcher. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go see it."

Triki led them to the roof of the building, where he and Huaju had landed. Kulagi's jaw dropped when he was his new Hover-Bike.

Dume had apparently updated this Hover-Bike from Kulagi's old one. It had four combined level eight Speed Kanoka and two combined level eight Levitation Kanoka. The Hover-Bike seated three Matoran, and was well polished with silver lining. However, what took Kulagi's breath away were the new features. This new Hover-Bike had duel Kanoka launchers on each side. This way, Kulagi could fire his Kanoka without having to stop steering.

"Wow," Vakama said. "I'll have to get this model when it comes out on the market."

"It's totally radical, isn't it," Triki said. "Dume wouldn't let me touch it."

"This is like my dream bike," Kulagi whispered as he ran his hands across the handlebars. "Gee, when you get friendly with the Turaga, he certainly gives you some cool presents."

"And now you have something to ride out to meet Gragu on," Sufina pointed out.

Vakama frowned. "There are three seats, but four of us. How will that work?"

Sufina shook her head. "I'm not going. I've had enough of the Gang Matoran for a lifetime. I can't be any help on a Hover-Bike anyway. I'll stay behind." She smiled. "Plus, I'm tired of Kulagi's wild driving."

"I'll go!" Triki said, jumping up and down. "Then I can use my Triki mask!"

"Not on my new bike, you won't!" Kulagi shot.

"I'll stay behind and help Sufina," Vakama offered. "I've had enough action for the day. Anyway, two Matoran are safer than one Matoran."

Kulagi grinned. "Looks like it's just you and me, Triki."

Triki nodded. "Hey, can I eat berries on your bike? Yummy berries?"

Kulagi grabbed his pack of Kanoka, and set it onto his bike. He picked up his launcher, and loaded the energized protodermis Kanoka into it. "Then it's settled. We're going to go hunting for some Gang Matoran!"

Vakama nodded. "Good luck, Kanoka Maker. I'm sure you'll do fine."

Sufina blushed. "Don't get hurt, Kulagi," she said. Then, before Kulagi could react, she leaned forward and gave him a small kiss on the side of his mask.

Vakama smirked, and Triki giggled. Kulagi was silent for a moment, but then he blushed too. "Take care of yourself, Sufina," he said as he climbed onto his bike. Triki got on behind him, with his own Kanoka launcher and his mask.

"Now let the hunt begin," Kulagi said. He turned the Hover-Bike on, and accelerated into the distance over Po-Metru.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The sun rose on Po-Metru. Normally, the small assemblers village would be pack with carvers. Ordinarily, the Po-Matoran would be hard at work on their statues before the sun's rays even reached them.

Today was not an ordinary day. Today, the Po-Matoran fled from a rampaging monster, which was followed by a swarm of Matoran on Hover-Bikes. Today, Gragu Nuva was in Po-Metru.

Gragu grabbed a statue of Mata-Nui, and lifted it high into the air. He threw it to the ground, and it shattered into a million pieces. The Po-Matoran ran as the debris fell down around them.

"Get that one, Boss," one of the Gang Matoran shouted. He pointed towards a completed statue of a Toa.

"With pleasure," Gragu roared. He casually walked over to the statue, which was four times as tall as he was. He pulled back his fist, and then swung it hard into the statue's leg. Gragu hit the statue with a tremendous force, but the stone did not crumble.

Moans of disappointment were heard amongst the Gang Matoran, but Gragu simply grinned. He lifted his hand, and doused the base of the statue with acid. The acid ate away at the stone, weakening it. With a single blow, Gragu toppled the statue. It crashed directly on top of the assemblers village. By then, all the Po-Matoran had fled to safety.

Gragu Nuva looked around, but was disappointed to find no other object that he could smash. "Good job, boys," he yelled to the Gang Matoran. "That was very entertaining. I do believe there is another assemblers village over the next hill. Let's go there next."

The Gang Matoran yelled in agreement, and Gragu started off. However, he was brought to a sudden halt with a yell from one of the Gang Matoran. The Matoran had been knocked off his bike, and crashed into the ground.

"What madness?" Gragu cried. Then he sighted the silver Hover-Bike shooting across the desert sands. "KULAGI!"

"That's me," Kulagi replied brightly. "Now, get lost!" Two Kanoka discs slid into his duel launchers, and he fired them. They struck two Matoran, and knocked them out of the sky.

"What does it take to get rid of you, Kanoka Maker?" Gragu growled. He reached over, and tore apart an undamaged tower, and threw it through the air like a javelin. He aimed it towards Kulagi.

"Uh oh," Kulagi said simply. He tilted his bike up, and accelerated as the stone javelin flew closer. Kulagi tilted his bike into a vertical position, and the javelin just missed. He lowered the slope, and shot down through the air towards the Gang Matoran.

"The was TOTALLY WICKED!" Triki cried from the back of the bike.

Kulagi grinned. "Get used to it, friend. We'll probably pull a few more Gs before we're through."

Kulagi launched discs from his duel launchers on his Hover-Bike, and Triki fired his own discs. But now the Gang Matoran were on the defensive, and only Kulagi's Ko-Metru Kanoka struck their targets. Gragu reached for another stone statue, to be used to fell Kulagi.

"OUT LOOK!" Triki yelled. The Gang Matoran filled the air with a volley of Kanoka aimed at Kulagi's Hover-Bike. Kulagi quickly went into a barrel roll, and avoided many of the discs. He fired a Po-Metru Kanoka to deflect the remaining Kanoka away from him.

"I'm going to end this now," Kulagi muttered. He lifted his own launcher, which had the energized protodermis Kanoka loaded. "Hey, Gragu, I've got something for you!"

Kulagi fired his disc, but Gragu noticed it. With a flick of his clawed hand, he knocked the disc aside. The disc hit the ground without activating its powers. Kulagi felt a chill run down his spine. He had just lost the only Kanoka that could take down Gragu. That only left one option for him.

"Triki, we've got to retrieve that disc," he called to the Le-Matoran. "I'm going to fly down next to it, and I need you to grab it."

Triki aimed his launcher, and fired a Reconstruct at Random Kanoka before responding to Kulagi. "Great! Go for it!" he said, as his Kanoka transformed a Hover-Bike into a couch and sent a Gang Matoran tumbling to the ground.

Kulagi shot through the air, narrowly avoiding Kanoka sent by the Gang Matoran. He flew just off the ground, and headed towards his fallen disc. Triki leaned over the edge; ready to grab the Kanoka when he got close enough.

Suddenly, a stray Kanoka grazed Triki's shoulder, and knocked him off the bike, along with his launcher and Kanohi mask. Kulagi swerved out of the way to avoid another Kanoka, and shot past his fallen Kanoka without having time to retrieve it. He spun his bike around in the air, but he already knew that it was hopeless. Gragu and the Gang Matoran were all focused on him.

"You're time has ended," Gragu commented, as he lifted another stone pillar.

But Gragu was suddenly distracted. A volley of Kanoka struck him, and caused him to drop the stone pillar. Kulagi's jaw dropped, and he turned to see a lone Matoran on the hillside. It was Huaju.

"What are you doing here?" Kulagi called up to him.

"I thought you could use some help," Huaju said. "So I brought reinforcements." More Matoran walked up onto the hillside around Huaju, all armed with Kanoka launchers. To his surprise, Kulagi recognized many of them.

Gragu growled, and the Gang Matoran reached for their launchers. But Huaju shouted first. "Kanoka Makers of Metru-Nui, let's show these Gang Matoran how to really use Kanoka!" Before the Gang Matoran could react, the Kanoka Makers started firing their discs. The air was filled with Matoran and Hover-Bikes getting shrunk, enlarged, frozen, teleported, randomly mutated, and multiplied. The number of Gang Matoran atop Hover-Bikes greatly diminished.

Kulagi used the distraction to fly to the ground and grab his fallen disc. He turned to Triki, who had just gotten up from his fall. "You need a lift?"

"No, I'm much fine," he called. "You fast-fly!"

Four Gang Matoran dropped out of the air, and landed near Triki. They were unharmed, and they pulled out their Kanoka launchers.

"Triki, look out!" Kulagi called.

"I've got it much covered," Triki said. "Go take down big, ugly Matoran freak."

Kulagi decided to leave it to Triki, and accelerated away. The Gang Matoran surrounded Triki, with their launchers aimed. "You're toast, Le-Matoran," one of them snarled.

"I think not!" Triki said. "Feel the power of Triki!" Suddenly, he picked up his Kanohi mask, and shoved it on over his Kakama. The Gang Matoran backed up as electricity started to build up on his mask. Before any of them could react, bolts of electricity shot out from the Kanohi, blasting everything around him. Soon the Gang Matoran were out cold.

The mask blew of Triki's face, and he wobbled around, grinning broadly. "YEAH! Take that!" Then he promptly fell over and passed out.

Kulagi grinned at Triki's success, but he still had to take down Gragu. He flew up in the air, and prepared to make a dive towards Gragu.

Gragu Nuva had been bombard by Kanoka, but they did little harm to him. He knocked them away with ease, and now lashed out at the Kanoka Makers. He lifted his hands, and sprayed acid at the hillside. Huaju jumped out of the way of the attack, but the hillside started to crumble.

"Get out of there, Huaju!" Kulagi yelled from the air. "Gragu's mine!"

Huaju hesitated, but then yelled, "You heard Kulagi. Retreat. We've knocked down all of the Gang Matoran!"

Gragu turned his attention from the fleeing Kanoka Makers to the Hover-Bike that was flying above him. "Come and get me, Kanoka Maker!"

"Gladly," Kulagi shouted back. He dipped down into a sharp dive, and aimed his launcher. He got closer and closer to Gragu, and waited for the precise moment to fire. However, Gragu suddenly leapt into the air, and grabbed the nose of Kulagi's Hover-Bike. He shoved it aside, and it crashed into the ground, spilling all of its contents. Kulagi lay on the ground next to his launcher and pack of Kanoka. But the energized protodermis Kanoka had fallen out of the launcher, and now lay in the desert sands. And all that stood between it and Kulagi was the monstrosity known as Gragu Nuva.

Gragu laughed harshly. "Where are you going to run to now, Kanoka Maker? You're journey has ended."

"The end is coming, all right," Kulagi said, not taking his eyes off the fallen Kanoka. He lifted his launcher, and loaded in a disc labeled 637. He shouted "Weakening Disc!" as he shot it.

Gragu prepared to swipe the disc aside, but it wasn't aimed at him. Instead, the disc struck a pinnacle of rocks above Gragu's head, and sent them crashing down on the former Gang Matoran. Gragu rubbed his head, but grinned. "That's not going to stop me."

"I didn't expect that it would," Kulagi muttered as he loaded a Kanoka labeled 578 into his launcher.

With a roar of anger, Gragu rushed forward, ready to pulverize Kulagi. Kulagi waited until the right instant before he acted. When Gragu was in close enough range, he aimed his disc at a rock by his feet and shouted, "Regeneration Disc!"

The rocks beneath Kulagi multiplied, and build a column below him that boosted him into the air. As Gragu lunged forward, he swung his fist and shattered the column. But Kulagi leapt of the rocks, over Gragu's head, and kicked off his back. Before Gragu could even react, Kulagi was behind him and sprinting for his fallen Kanoka. As Gragu started to turn, Kulagi added another disc into his launcher, labeled 426.

Gragu spun around to face Kulagi. "You can't run from me!"

"I can if you can't run!" Kulagi shouted back. "Freezing Disc!"

His Kanoka shot through the air, but was aimed at the rock below Gragu. A thick layer of ice quickly built up on the rocks after the disc struck. Gragu tried to take a step forward, but slipped and fell to the ground.

Gragu was not going to let Kulagi get away. He lifted the Bordakh head he had taken, and fired a Kanoka disc. But Kulagi spun around and shouted "Shrinking Disc!" His Kanoka shrunk Gragu's Kanoka out of sight. Gragu then fired acid at Kulagi, but the Onu-Matoran already had the right disc loaded into his launcher. "Removes Poison Disc!" he shouted, as he fired a disc labeled 348. The Kanoka neutralized Gragu's deadly attack.

Kulagi finally reached down and recovered the energized protodermis Kanoka. He dramatically loaded it into his launcher as Gragu got to his feet. "And now I have one last disc to shoot, Gragu. And this one will take you down forever!" He gripped his launcher, and shouted "Enlarging Disc!" He fired the energized protodermis Kanoka, and it flew towards Gragu.

Gragu moved his hands to swipe away the Kanoka. But then Kulagi suddenly remembered the special ability of the Ga-Metru Kanoka. The user could guide them through the air with their mind. Kulagi mentally steered the disc around Gragu's outstretched arms, and directed it to fly around him.

"What kind of Kanoka is this?" Gragu cried, as he swiped at it again but missed.

"This is a very powerful Kanoka, Gragu," Kulagi calmly explained, as he directed the disc with his mind. "It's a Ga-Metru Enlarging disc, with a power level of nine. Do you know what's so special about a Kanoka with a power level of nine?"

Gragu didn't answer, but simply lunged for the disc. Kulagi continued. "Nine is the most powerful power level ever encountered. And do you want to know where I found the protodermis to make such a disc? Well, I used energized protodermis to carve this Kanoka. The same substance that gave you those new powers. And now I'll use it to take away your powers!"

Gragu tried to grab the disc again, but missed. He was becoming frustrated. "You won't defeat me."

"I will!" Kulagi hissed. "You wanted almighty power... now have a taste of it!" Kulagi sent the disc flying towards Gragu's chest. Gragu tried to block it, but Kulagi mentally guided the disc beneath Gragu's outstretched arms. The Kanoka disc struck home.

Kulagi watched in amazement. The Kanoka simply fused into Gragu's bulk. For a moment, Kulagi felt a wave of panic. Had Gragu somehow diverted its power? Had he failed to take down the mutated Gang Matoran yet again? But no, Gragu screamed in pain, and it was obvious that the disc was having an effect on this monster.

Slowly, Gragu's features began to melt. The muscle, the claws, and the horns all turned into a silvery liquid, and washed off of Gragu. The liquid formed a circle around Gragu, who was back in his Matoran form. Gragu was frozen, filled with fear, as the liquid energized protodermis started to expand. The liquid formed a dome around the Gang Matoran, and blocked him from view. Then, in a sudden rush, the dome collapsed in on itself, and Gragu's scream was heard all across the Metru. Then it was over, and all that remained was some steam, rising off the ground.

The fallen Gang Matoran watched in amazement as the energized protodermis took its victim. Huaju and the Kanoka Makers watched in awe, and started to climb down the hillside. Triki revived, and stared at the spot where Gragu had last stood. Kulagi held his ground, and he was filled with a sudden rush of relief. It was over now. Gragu had been defeated.

The Gang Matoran were dumbstruck. "You destroyed Boss!" one of them cried, pointing to Kulagi. "Now we're going to destroy you!"

All the Gang Matoran turned towards Kulagi, and the Kanoka Maker felt a sudden weakness flow through him. He couldn't find the energy to lift his launcher to defend himself. He fell to his knees before the Gang Matoran.

But he didn't have to defend himself. Brilliant lights struck each of the Gang Matoran, and they froze in their stance. Before anyone could speak, Kulagi grinned and suggested, "I would surrender now."

"We surrender!" the Gang Matoran shouted, throwing aside their launchers, and laying on the ground.

The Zadahk swarmed across the desert, after having used their stun staffs to make the Gang Matoran suggestible. They quickly pacified the Gang Matoran, and prepared to escort them to the Coliseum prison. Walking along behind the Vahki were Dume, Vakama, and Sufina.

"Such destruction," Dume said quietly, looking around. "Finally brought to a crushing end."

Vakama and Sufina helped Kulagi back to his feet, as Huaju and Triki rushed over to greet them. The other Kanoka Makers started inspecting the damage done.

"You did it," Vakama said. "You defeated Gragu!"

"Yes, he's gone," Kulagi whispered. "Destroyed by the very substance that enhanced his abilities."

"Energized protodermis is odd stuff," Sufina responded. "Matoran may never understand it. And maybe we aren't meant to."

"You ever-crushed big, mean Matoran ugly-head," Triki exclaimed, jumping up and down. "Way to go, dude."

"And most of the Gang Matoran are now held by the Vahki," Huaju added. "This is a good day indeed."

Dume turned to the five Matoran. "I owe all of you a great thanks for all you have done for this city against the Gang Matoran. You shall all receive rewards for your actions."

Dume turned to Huaju. "You were quite smart, trader, to organize the Matoran that would be most effective against the Gang Matoran. If you had not led the Kanoka Makers to battle, the day may have been lost."

"I tried my best," Huaju said with a bow.

Dume turned to Triki. "Your mask has proved itself useful, Le-Matoran, and I shall allow you to keep it. However, I forbid you to ever use it in public or sacred places."

"Thanks, dude!" Triki said with a grin. "Maybe I can make you one too. Wouldn't that be EVER-COOL?"

"No thank you,' Dume said quickly, as he turned to Vakama. "Mask-maker, your dedication and bravery helped in the rescue of Sufina. You shall be rewarded for your valor."

Vakama also bowed. "Thank you, Turaga."

Next, Dume turned to Sufina. "Your intelligence had been very helpful, chemist. You may have given up valuable information to the Gang Matoran, but that is excusable considering the conditions you were in. In addition to that, you helped in the creation of the ultimate Kanoka disc that took down Gragu Nuva. Your work shall receive many awards, but..." Dume paused. "All of your research and the energized protodermis will be exterminated, so such an event will not occur again."

"It is for the best, Turaga," Sufina said with a small nod.

Finally, the Turaga turned to Kulagi. "And you, Kanoka Maker. You are truly responsible for the demise of Gragu Nuva. You created the ultimate discs, and delivered it to Gragu with skill that is almost unheard of amongst the Matoran. Long shall you be honored for your victory."

Kulagi smiled, and felt lightheaded. It was all over, and everything had fallen into place. The Gang Matoran were being pacified, Gragu had been defeated, the Vahki weren't chasing him, Sufina was safe, and he had a pack full of powerful Kanoka. Everything had worked out in the end.

"What about the bike?" Kulagi asked, pointing to his Hover-Bike. Despite having been knocked out of the air, it was in pretty good condition.

Dume smiled. "It is yours now, Kulagi."

"Sweetness!" Kulagi said. Sudden energy flowed into him, and he turned to Sufina. "Do you want to go for a quick ride?"

Sufina blushed, but nodded. "Why not?"

Turaga Dume turned away from the Matoran, and began to inspect the damage again. "We need to divert a team of builders out here," he said to no one in particular. "I'm sure if we have a few extra teams here, we'll get things fixed up in no time."

Kulagi turned to Triki and Huaju. "Hey, thanks for all the help, you two. It's nice to have friends that you can stand beside."

"It was quite an experience," Huaju agreed. "But now it's back to business as usual."

"I'm thinking about quick-crafting more Kanohi," Triki said thoughtfully. Vakama chuckled.

Kulagi turned to Vakama suddenly, and tossed a Kanoka towards him. "Here, mask-maker. Catch."

"What's this?" Vakama asked, as he grabbed the Ta-Metru Kanoka out of the air.

"That's the disc you asked me for a while back," Kulagi said. "Go carve a cool mask out of it."

Vakama's face brightened. "Thanks, Kulagi. I'll do that."

Kulagi gestured to Sufina, and flipped his bike upright. Together, Kulagi and Sufina jumped on the bike. And then Kulagi accelerated, and the two of them disappeared over the horizon.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Kulagi stood by his bike, parked on the shore of one of the tributaries to the Fire River. He had followed the deep canyon up to the edge of the Great Furnace. A giant pipe extended out of the stone wall, and spilled out Molten Protodermis.

"The best spot to find protodermis rust would be on that pipe," Kulagi mused. Kulagi carefully crawled off the shore and onto the top edge of the pipe. He slid on some fireproof gloves, and grabbed a chunk of protodermis off the edge of the pipe, right above the hot flow of Molten Protodermis. Kulagi quickly jumped off the pipe to avoid the heat, and observed his prize.

Kulagi weighed the protodermis in his hands, and grinned broadly. This was really powerful protodermis. He could expect to carve a level seven Kanoka out of it, if not a level eight. Setting the protodermis aside, Kulagi walked back to the pipe to collect some more.

Kulagi spent some time scraping off the protodermis rust, and stored it on a container on his Hover-Bike. He was putting the last bit away when he heard a voice behind him. "Ah, you should make some fine discs out of that protodermis, Kanoka Maker."

Kulagi spun around. Standing behind him was none other than Turaga Dume.

"Turaga!" Kulagi explained quickly. "I was just wandering through the area, and I happened to fly in here, and..."

Turaga Dume shook his head. "Do not waste your excuses on me, Kulagi. I know why you are here. You wanted some off-limit protodermis."

Kulagi bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Turaga," he said slowly.

Dume chuckled. "You and I will never see eye to eye, Kanoka Maker. I respect the rules and the laws. You respect your form of crafting, and you don't let anything get in your way."

"Why are you here, Turaga?" Kulagi questioned Dume. "Are you here to arrest me?"

Dume shook his head. "No, I will not arrest you unless you are dragged in by the Vahki. Anyway, I am still in your debt after the fiasco with the Gang Matoran." Dume smiled. "I am here because I enjoy to walk by the Fire River. I find myself relaxed when I stroll alongside it."

"Oh, yeah," Kulagi said, turning his gaze to the Fire River. "It is very interesting."

"Kanoka Maker," Dume said suddenly. "I wonder if you have heard from your friends recently."

Kulagi shrugged. "A bit. Why?"

"I was just thinking about Vakama and Triki," Dume said. "Vakama recently taught Triki some useful techniques in mask making at the Le-Matoran's home. Vakama had some interesting stories to tell afterwards."

Kulagi smiled too, imagining the scene. "Maybe Vakama can learn something from hanging around Triki."

"Vakama is certainly learning how to be more accepting of other Matoran," Dume said. "But there is little he has to learn about mask making. I believe that someday, Vakama will become a great mask-maker. Although you could certainly teach him a thing or two about Kanoka."

"I guess," Kulagi said with a shrug.

"And what of your Po-Matoran friend?"

"Huaju?" Kulagi asked. "Well, he and I went and collected some protodermis recently. Legal protodermis, because it was in the middle of the Po-Metru desert."

"I am not accusing you of anything," Dume said quickly. "But have you been seeing the Ga-Matoran chemist recently."

Kulagi blushed. "Yeah, I spent some time with Sufina recently too."

"In remotes spots of Ga-Metru, I presume."

"That's an accusation!" Kulagi shot at the Turaga.

Dume shook his head. "No, merely an observation."

Kulagi sighed. "Yeah, Sufina led me to some good protodermis in Ga-Metru, but we didn't encounter any Vahki. At least, none that I saw," he added. "Anyway, I made her some pretty powerful discs, so it was all worth it."

Dume shook his head. "You and I will never be completely friends, Kulagi. You're dedication to your form of artwork will forever cause you to break the law, and I shall always be on the other side, waiting to punish you. I can turn a blind eye sometimes, Kulagi, but if the Vahki ever catch you..."

As if on Dume's words, a squad of Nuurahk appeared on the edge of the cliff. They glared down at Kulagi, who instantly froze.

"You can flee," Dume said casually. "But try to avoid destroying anything. I would hate to have to rebuild sections of the Fire River, and the loss of Vahki might force me to send more to your home."

"I can do that, Turaga," Kulagi said slowly, keeping his eyes on the Vahki. But he had one last question. "Turaga, when I used that disc on Gragu, I created energized protodermis, which in turn destroyed him. But I thought artificial energized protodermis couldn't destroy anything."

"It is possible that the artificial protodermis did not follow that guideline," Dume responded. "Sufina's research went further than any Matoran had ever gone to creating energized protodermis, and I expect that nobody will ever get as far as she had. Yet it is possible that she still did not manage to create purely artificial energized protodermis."

"But then why did Gragu transform?" Kulagi wondered.

"Perhaps it was Gragu's destiny to transform," Dume suggested. "Just as it was your destiny to take Gragu Nuva down."

Kulagi considered this, and found the idea plausible. "Thanks, Turaga," he said. "I guess I'll be seeing you around."

"Fly safely, Kanoka Maker," Dume said.

In one swift movement, Kulagi jumped onto his Hover-Bike, and the Vahki leapt off the cliff, with Kanoka in their jaws and their stun staffs at ready. But Kulagi loaded in a Ko-Metru Shrinking disc, and fired it at the Vahki. Even after he fired it, he reloaded, and fired a Po-Metru Regeneration disc. This Kanoka caused Kulagi's Shrinking Kanoka to multiply, and the various Kanoka struck the Vahki, shrinking them to a safe size.

The remaining Vahki prepared to charge in. Kulagi jumped on his Hover-Bike, and started it up. With a wave to Turaga Dume, Kulagi accelerated down the canyon, with Kanoka and stun staffs blasting after him. The Vahki followed, but they were already losing the Onu-Matoran.

"The chase is on," Kulagi said, as he loaded his Kanoka launcher.

The End


End file.
